


Intoxicated

by Jelaine_The_First



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi really just wants a hug, Alpha!Akechi Goro, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff and Angst, I promise I won't make it lewd, M/M, Omega!Akira Kurusu, Omegaverse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slight Canon Divergence, This is filled with plot, Unreliable Narrator, akira-centric, not smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-07-20 05:24:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 51,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16130519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jelaine_The_First/pseuds/Jelaine_The_First
Summary: Why would he succumb into stereotypes just because his genes says so? He'd shoot a god if he has to. It's in his blood to rebel.





	1. Traces of scent

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing Omegaverse, so please, comments and critiques are highly appreciated! I also just got back into writing after a year and a half of holiday. Writing Akechi is surprisingly very easy, same goes to Akira. They are both too easy to read, despite their complexities.  
> This will also be a multi-chaptered story but whatever happens in here will be solely what I write at the spur of the moment. So whatever happens, if your fav character dies, blame my brain D:  
> Persona 5 is copyrighted by ATLUS.

It’s a wonder how Akira’s legs didn’t give out at the burst of angry hormones from the drunk man. The pitch black night didn’t swallow his overflowing testosterone. He was trying desperately to overwhelm the teenager but Akira stood with confidence, gulping away his tremble inside. The woman behind him, was very much a Beta as far as he can tell, was shivering like she’s having an inner earthquake. Perhaps this man was her superior and she’s too afraid to fight him off forcefully. Akira bit his lip. However common these occurrences are, it doesn’t mean he’ll turn a blind eye on it when he comes across one. 

The man stumbled on his own wobbly legs and hit his head on the roadside railings. “Ouch!” He cursed under his breath and glared at Akira; His amber eyes glowed as if it was set on fire. The hit definitely sombered the man by a breath. 

“Damn brat… I’ll sue!” 

The voice echoed in Akira’s head. It didn’t mean much at the moment. 

Until the police pulled Akira inside the car instead of the man, and he was sentenced with a year’s worth of probation, under constant surveillance of the police forces and basically everyone, 

Akira felt like it’s about time he rethink his life decisions. 

* * *

His right hand rested behind his neck as he moved his head left and right. A few crackling noise escaped, heard by Morgana. 

“You need to exercise more, Akira…” said the cat with absolutely no judgment. 

Akira held his urge to flip Morgana off with his long lean finger, instead he settled with a tired look aimed at the blue eyes across the room. 

The cat landed on the floor softly and waltzed towards the bed. He sat himself in front of Akira’s face, swaying his tail and suffocating the teenager with his constant pressure. “Hey, do you think we should send out the calling card tomorrow?” 

Akira muffled his groan with sealed lips. 

“Morgana, let me live.” 

“I’m just reminding you. We don’t have much time left.” The cat shrugged as if he didn’t just tell Akira to _go to bed_ merely seconds ago. 

“Yes, you are the walking reminder I never asked for.” Akira turned to the other side. 

Morgana, however, continued to pester him. He jumped to the other side and sat down too, overwhelming the boy’s sight with his fur. He sighed. 

“Morgana, please…” 

“Your scent blocker is running out too.” 

Hmm, that was important. Akira made a reminder to himself, to make a reminder when he wakes up tomorrow morning, if he remembers. He hummed softly, closed his eyes without waiting for Morgana to speak some more. God forbid, if Morgana restarted with his incessant meowing, Akira might consider throwing the cat out of the window. 

* * *

Same old day at school. Akira cannot amount the times he wanted to roll his eyes at the teachers who relentlessly asked him questions, ignoring literally the other twenty-three other students in the class. Yeah, he’s obviously the only student available for questioning. Yep. 

Speaking about other students, he can’t help but notice the confused stare from the people around him as he walked by. His head turned to the left and right, trying to see what they’re looking at. 

“It’s you, silly…” Morgana sighed from underneath the desk. 

Akira tilted his head, puzzled. “What?” 

Morgana’s blue eyes settled on his dark grey ones. “Did you use the scent blocker for today yet?” 

_Oh._

His mouth stayed agape for another fifteen seconds. A considerable length of _oh shit_ echoed in his mind. His eyes darted around the classroom several times, growing restless and wary as he waited for the lessons to finish. 

As soon as the last period ended, Akira grabbed his bag and darted out of his classroom, his worried scent permeated through the whole classroom. He didn’t bother to look back because he knew everybody would start talking about it. 

Not that anybody knows he’s an Omega except Morgana. 

It’s unheard of for an Omega to get a probation. They are demure, submissive little group of people who are commonly handed over to an Alpha once they are of age. They don’t have the time to be themselves before they have their life owned by someone else. 

Akira had always been a rebel. It comes naturally to him. Almost nobody back in his hometown knew about his first bloom, and he was good at keeping it a secret. His stare usually scares the lives out of everybody: The sharp grey eyes, unkempt curly black hair, thin, tight lips that rarely speaks. His parents warned him about dangers of walking around alone at night, but he never heeded. With his looks, Akira was always passed as an Alpha or at least a Beta. Nobody wants to mess around with an Alpha unless they want their nuts blown to high heaven. 

Morgana only found out about his second gender because his cat senses smelled the faint wooden cupboard, dust and caffeine in his scent, almost similar to an Alpha, just milder. He said something about Akira’s other half being an old man because his scent spoke of attracting someone who loves that smell. 

Akira denied him his sushi that night. 

Morgana’s head peeked out of Akira’s bag once they are out of the subway. “I told you you’re running out of scent blocker last night.” 

The boy made a face to his feline companion. 

“Why don’t you take a look around 7-Eleven over there? They should sell it.” The cat directed his head over to a store nearby. Akira wasted no time to go into it and searched for the item. The scent-blocker lotion isn’t scarce but it’s sold as sporadic as a chapstick; Some people thought the society don’t need them so they don’t put it on the aisle. Akira took a quick browsing on the prices. As a poor student, he automatically reached out for the cheapest one, only giving the expensive scent-blockers a confused look. Who bought this tiny lotion at 2000 ¥? Rich ass bastards, that is. 

Suddenly a hand extended towards the expensive scent blockers. Akira followed the arm and ended up on the person. 

Rich ass Akechi Goro, of course, was standing beside him, his dark crimson eyes reading the contents of the product. Akira gulped. Out of all people, this Detective decided to appear behind him like the unwanted phantom of the society. Akira turned around, hoping the detective didn’t sense his presenc— 

“Hello, Kurusu-kun,” said Akechi, his gaze still at the text he’s reading. His lips formed a coy smile. 

_FUUUUUUUUU--_ “Hello, Akechi.” His steps halted not far from the man. Akira was contemplating on whether to just leave him hanging or stay and make small talk. 

“It’s been a while since we last saw each other.” The gloved hand put the expensive scent blocker into his shopping basket. _Of course he chose that one, **OF COURSE** _. Akira turned to face him with a quiet sigh. 

“Bold of you to take that brand.” 

Akechi tilted his head, faking confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.” 

Akira jut out his lips at the scent blocker that most probably will cost him an arm and a leg, probably a kidney too. “That takes up half of my paycheck from the Beef Bowl place.” 

A fake melodious laugh was heard from Akechi. “I guess it is quite expensive for normal students, no?” His hand pulled out the item from his basket and twirled it around his palm. “But you have to consider, with higher cost comes higher quality. This will last me longer than a month, thus it is quite a bargain. If you have a steady income, that is.” 

Akira won’t say that he is easily swayed by tiny portion of good argument before he throws away his hard-earned money shouting SHUT UP AND TAKE ALL OF THIS. 

But this time he will make an exception. 

Unknowingly, his hand took one of the expensive scent blockers and his mind blared with warning siren. What does he need to do to afford this, he wondered. Maybe cancel Kawakami’s visit this week, or work with Iwai and sacrifice his life in mafia deals, or not go to his Big Bang Burger challenge? Sacrifice his hygiene or life, definitely. Either way, He will never give up on burgers. 

His nervousness must’ve been too obvious since Akechi looked a tad concerned. “Ah, you don’t need to buy this if you don’t have the funds. This one.” Akechi’s hand took one next to the brand, still expensive but not ‘organ from black market’ level of expensive. “This works just as well but it won’t last as long.” 

He didn’t give it a second thought about putting the pricey blocker back to where it was and took the one in Akechi’s hand. His nervousness subsided. 1300¥? Not bad. 

Akira settled on reading a little about its content even though his mind has decided to buy it. Before he knew it, he can feel Akechi’s breath not far from he stood. When did he get so close? Akira took a step backwards out of surprise. 

“My apologies. I just-uh- I wanna read about the brand too. I’ve never tried other than my usual,” said him, apologetic smile on his face. 

“You suggested this to me without trying it firsthand?” Akira’s tone came out accusing although he didn’t mean to. 

“No, I didn’t mean to make you a guinea pig or anything!” His hands waved frantically, trying to deny. “It’s just that, when you’re the face of that brand, it’s embarassing if you buy other than the product you’ve endorsed.” 

_Oh, right._ From behind the glasses, Akira glanced at the stash of scent blockers displayed on the aisle. Akechi’s flashy grin, a media material smile, was shown on the product. Welp, he literally signed up for that. “Can’t say I pity you. You did this to yourself.” 

Another fake laugh came from the brunette. Akira quickly put back the cheap scent blocker and was about to give Akechi a quick ‘see ya’ before Akechi said, “wait!” 

“What is it?” He gave the detective a small smile. 

“Are you going straight home afterwards?” 

He gave a small nod. 

“Great! We can walk together. I have been craving for Leblanc’s coffee for two weeks now.” The detective shamelessly walked alongside Akira, much to the teenager’s dismay. 

“Why not just go then?” 

“Work has been ruthless to me, especially with that new operation the police was on.” 

Akira let that ‘totally-not-Phantom-Thieves-business’ operation slide. He wasn’t going to implore for more information on the detective that was going hot on their trails. “Come to think of it, it has been a while since you came. Morgana misses you.” 

A small growl came from his bag as he formed a teasing grin. “I’m going to scratch your face when you’re asleep.” 

“He meows at your favourite seat everyday.” 

“Akira!” 

The boy felt a slight bump on his rib, then a faint marking of claws. Time to drop the tease. 

Akechi, however, seemed amused by it. “I never thought the cat would get attached to me, with the way he glares at me whenever I sat down.” 

“That’s, you know, cats are tsundere.” The claws came through the fabric and poked his skin. “Ow!” 

Their walk was interrupted. Akechi looked at Akira with a concerned look, meanwhile the teenager unzipped his bag and scolded Morgana inside. “That hurts.” 

“Well you could’ve kept your mouth shut then.” 

“You brought your cat into the store?” asked Akechi, baffled. 

“He has some kind of separation anxiety,” said Akira as he pushed back the meowing Morgana inside and zipped. 

“Aren’t pets not allowed in here?” 

“Then keep silent about it.” He straightened his finger on his lips, a wink graced his face. “ _Don’t let the cat out of the bag_.” 

* * *

“Ah, welcome back,” greeted Sojiro once he saw Akira stepping in Leblanc. “Oh you brought Akechi with you.” 

Akira shrugged and Akechi took his usual seat on the counter. “The usual please, Boss.” 

The teenager can’t compare that happy smile with anything he’s ever seen on TV, except when he’s here, sipping that coffee. 

Morgana stirred in his bag. “Akira, put that scent blocker now. Your scent is everywhere.” 

_Oops._ “Right.” He entered the bathroom and locked the door, gently swiping the scent-blocker on his wrists and underneath the jaw, where the pulse lies. A few seconds later, the air cleared up. He can smell the strong bleach from the toilet bowl. He swiped his face a few times and fixed his hair that looked out of place. (Just kidding they are all doing whatever they please) 

He stepped outside the bathroom and quickly headed upstairs to change into his casual clothes. Once he heard Sojiro’s call, he climbed down the stairs to see Akechi gathering up his stuff, ready to leave. 

“Did you call me down just to see him to the door?” asked Akira. 

“No, silly. I called you down for lunch. Here.” A plate of curry was served on the counter. “Why, do you want me to call you everytime Akechi is about to leave? That can be arranged,” said the older man with a smirk. 

“No…” answered Akira with a pout. A chuckle echoed from the door, where Akechi stood, hands on the doorknob. 

A moment later, the detective’s face twisted into something nearing astonishment. “Oh… Kurusu-kun…” 

Akira raised an eyebrow at the call. 

Akechi was stammering for words. “You…uh… don’t smell like before.” 

The boy dramatically put a hand on his chest, his mouth wide with horror. “Are you saying I smell?!” 

“No no no no I don’t mean that!” Once again, his frantic denial came to view. It was quite adorable to watch. “…I’m guessing Boss can’t sense it?” 

Akira gave him a firm ‘no’. 

“I see.” He nodded, looking down. “That’s a shame. I’ve grown to like it. It gives me a sense of comfort and home.” He opened the door and gave Sojiro a fast “Thanks for the coffee”. 

Sojiro continued wiping the counter while muttering something intangible. Morgana came down after he made sure Akechi was no longer in the store. 

“What are you standing over there for? The curry is getting cold.” 

Akira uttered a silent _right_ and sat himself down on the counter. His mind remained registering Akechi’s words. 

_Home, huh._


	2. Imprinting Copyright on you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Akechi continues to cross roads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly a sucker for akeshu interaction.  
> Disclaimer: Persona 5 is a product of ATLUS. I don't own it.

Akira never pursued dramatics. The dramatics chose him. Once again, he recalled his current friend’s list. 

Sakamoto Ryuji, a boisterous Alpha who got his future in shambles because Kamoshida decided he didn’t need his legs to be Sanic-speed in his life. 

Takamaki Ann, a beautiful soul with a matching appearance to her bright personality. Also an Alpha. 

Kitagawa Yusuke, a very….strange Beta with overwhelming artistic value, while executing a perfect example of ‘gentleman’. _Sometimes._

Morgana, a talking cat…. 

For someone who’s trying not to gain attention to himself, he’s doing an awful job at it by hanging out with the victims of past criminals with a change of heart. With this group of people, he even can’t convince a toddler that he at least wasn’t involved with the Phantom Thieves. 

Even a crow can smell that bullshit from miles away. 

Now that he’s more or less the leader of the Phantom Thieves (it’s actually confirmed, it just didn’t register in his mind yet), he’s currently associating himself with the very detective who make a living by investigating their ‘crimes’. It surely can’t get worse than this. 

“I have a recording I would like for you to hear,” says the student council president. 

While sitting on the desk facing the president, Akira was thinking of a thousand ways to throw Ryuji out of the window. It wasn’t the first time they got in trouble for his loud mouth, but it’s the first time it ever got this bad. 

Defenestration was the word he’s looking for. 

Haven’t someone made a proverb about never spark an Omegan’s wrath, lest the Apocalypse shall greet at your door? If nobody has, he’s certainly making one right now with his anger-fueled pheromones. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. What can he do other than meeting this pushy president’s demands for now? Rather than being ratted out to the authorities, he’d soon bring another student into his small group of rebellion. 

“I have a request. Change the heart of a mafia leader that’s been threatening the lives of our students. If you can’t meet this requirement within two weeks, I will send this recording to the police,” said the brown-haired girl, full of confidence. “Or if you’d rather have a swift punishment, I can send this to Detective Akechi Goro instead.” Her eyes were full of mirth while staring into Akira’s grey ones. 

_This little—_ “Alright, if you say so.” He hid his tightening fists in his pocket. For a Beta, this student council president was too bold for her own good. 

* * *

His walk back to Leblanc has been sluggish at best. All he wished for was an escalator to be build towards his room upstairs. With Kawakami’s problems and Makoto’s blackmail, it’s like there’s balls of chain attached to his legs. He can’t even lift them properly as he swayed in front of the café door. 

The door opened with a jingle of the bell; The smell of coffee and curry instantly put his mind at ease. Akira shut his eyes as he inhaled the scent deep in his nostrils. 

“Hello. I was hoping you’d be here.” A friendly voice greeted him. 

His eyes snapped open to see Akechi holding a cup of coffee with his left hand, his mouth formed a gentle smile he perfected as a celebrity. 

“Honey, I’m home,” Akira replied with a deadpan tone, his face unchanged. From behind the counter, Sojiro choked on his drink. 

“You’re back awfully late.” He turned back to his coffee and sipped it a little before putting it softly on the saucer. “I need to discuss something with you.” 

If one squints their eyes, they can see sweat forming on top of Akira’s head. 

“Am I in trouble?” Akira’s face remained perfectly still while Morgana turning in his bag, his meow trembled with anxiety. 

“Oh no…Were we found out already?” 

“Alright, Boss. Thanks for the coffee,” said the detective as he put down the payment on the counter. Akechi walked over to Akira, closer than what the teenager was comfortable with, and whispered, “I need to talk to you. Alone.” Akechi eyed the bag under Akira’s armpits and he understood it immediately. 

Not even animals were allowed to eavesdrop their conversation. This must be dead serious. 

Once they arrived at a particularly hidden corner nearby Leblanc, Akira began to consider if this was a bad idea. He’s on scent blocker, yes, but to have a one-on-one conversation with an Alpha at an isolated spot, he’s rethinking his life decisions once again. 

“So.” The Alpha crossed his arms and casually looked at Akira. “I was suspecting something was off from the last time we met.” 

Akira hid the shiver in his throat. “Yeah?” 

“You’re clearly hiding something from me.” 

“Gee, detective. Tell me something I don’t know.” He rolled his eyes at that. 

“My apologies. I’ll just be honest then.” His raspy laugh bounced off the walls behind them. It really was silent there, Akira thought. “You’re…” 

_A Phantom Thief?_

“…An Omega, aren’t you?” 

Frankly, Akira prepared himself for his thieving business, not his other secret, hence he was more baffled than he thought. “An…. O-Omega?” He parroted back, dumbfounded. 

“Yes.” Akechi stepped forward and continued with his rambling. “The scent that day, I realized, wasn’t from our surrounding. It was strong because the source is you, and you were searching for scent blockers, that meant you were running low on it or none at all, thus your scent was clearly going wild. I was torn between an Alpha or Omega, since Betas can’t smell or give out scent, and your scent was quite…peculiar, if I can say so myself. It’s like an Omega disguising itself as an Alpha.” A gloved hand settled on his chin. “But again, this is all but a deduction. I’m just here to confirm it.” 

Akira was standing there, balancing out the pros and cons of revealing his gender to Akechi. There’s more harm than benefits, needless to say. But if he acted as he was supposed to, he won’t be as good in negotiations with the Shadows now, will he? 

“Have you ever heard of an Omega going full assault on a drunk man in the middle of the night?” said Akira with a resigned smile. 

The detective seemed reluctant to answer him, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, but later shaking his head with a sigh. “I guess not…” said he with a chuckle. “Although, it wasn’t really your fault, was it?” 

The teenager raised his eyes to meet with Akechi’s. “On what grounds do you want to believe me?” 

Akechi shrugged. “Based on this country’s corrupted system.” 

Akira exhaled a loud snort. “Okay, that’s fair.” He let his laughter died down before his face melted into something resembling despair. He let a few moments pass before he whispered, barely audible to Akechi, but the detective caught it anyways. 

“ _It wasn’t me._ ” 

As if on cue, Akira felt a looming Alphan pheromone exuding from Akechi and only him alone. It’s usually felt when an Alpha wants to mark something as theirs, and they grow extremely protective over it. But the intensity of the gaze, it was frightening. 

Was Akechi trying to protect him? 

“Right” was all Akechi said. Akira can hear his refrained speech while his scent running amuck, as if furious about his situation. Akechi was mad _for_ him. It made him wanted to laugh. 

“Let’s go back to Leblanc. I’m starving,” said Akira to break the silence. Akechi nodded and walked alongside him. 

Right before they entered the café, Akechi held Akira’s wrist. The raven stiffened at his bold move. 

“…Is that…lavender..? Lily…?” 

“What are you talking about?” asked Akira as he tried not to pry his hand forcefully from the grip. 

It took almost a minute later for Akechi to realize he was holding the other’s hand. He pulled back with a jerk. “I’m sorry!” 

Akira narrowed his eyes to him. “You’ve said that quite often around me, I’m starting to suspect you don’t really mean it.” 

“No, I do!” A faint blush colored his cheeks. Well, that’s a first. “But I have to say… I didn’t smell that tulip before.” 

“Where?” 

The detective signed towards Akira. 

“Your habit of sniffing people is giving me the creeps,” said him with a sigh. Akechi gave a soft chuckle. 

“I’ll try to tone it down a bit.” 

* * *

“You’re close with that detective.” Morgana jumped on his back as soon as he stepped into the attic. 

“I’m not close to Akechi,” said Akira, taking total offense from that. 

“Yes, you are.” The cat sat on the bed, his eyes never leaving Akira’s figure. “The whisper to each other, the little talks, the teasing, the “Honey I’m home”s, the—“ 

“OKAY okay I get it!” He raised his voice to engulf the rant from his cat friend. “No, he’s not my friend. We met three times. We nearly got into a full debate the first time we talked, and it’s on the TV station.” 

Morgana tilted his head, his mouth slightly quirked at the edge. “But you’ve got to admit, he’s fond of you.” 

His hand pulled out a toolbox and placed it on the desk. His declining number of lockpicks were eating at the back of his mind. As a leader, he loved to think several Palaces ahead. 

And he’s trying to avoid talking about Akechi with Morgana. 

His attention was skewed once Morgana hopped onto his desk and flopped onto his side comfortably. While grooming his fur, he weaved in a few words to the boy. 

“Be careful, Akira.” 

The teenager hummed. He already knew what Morgana will say. 

“Not because he’s investigating us.” 

He lifted his head briefly to look at Morgana. His face a mixture of perplexed and surprised. “Then what am I supposed to be careful at?” 

The cat gave a flick of his ears. He stopped grooming himself and sat down properly. “Joker is a calm and composed man, a good leader for the Phantom Thieves, but Akira is the guy who holds no judgment when he talks with anyone, even an ex-mafia.” 

“Your point being…?” 

“I’m worried that your Akira side will fall into his trap.” 

Akira scoffed at his statement. His tools were discarded to the side. “You’re talking as if Akechi is that twisted of a guy.” A shake of his head, and he’s back to crafting his lockpicks. “He’s a detective, not a bad guy.” 

“I don’t know.” Morgana was soon back on his grooming. “It’s not something I can say for certain. He’s just….fishy.” 

It was a minute before Akira let out a snort. 

* * *

Today, Makoto joined them in the Metaverse after opening a road to Kaneshiro’s UFO palace. Partially because Monamobile can’t turn into a flying vehicle by demand. Suffice to say, Morgana didn’t score anything to Ann the previous night. 

A hanging bridge made of cash connected the Earth to the flying Palace, now that Makoto was in a crippling debt to the mafia leader. As they ascended the road made of money, Akira’s instinct halted his steps from moving forward. He turned around, offering the shadows of the building down there a momentary glance. 

“Is something wrong, Joker?” asked Panther from quite a distance. 

Joker spent a few more minutes just scanning the buildings, scrutinizing the dark side of the blocks. He’s not sure what he’s supposed to look for, but he can’t look away. He knew something was looking at him from the dark. 

A few more glances and he chose to ignore the nagging feeling in his head. It’s probably his heightened anxiety. It’s rare for him to get shaken up purely by instinct but he won’t waste more time on something uncertain. 

“It was nothing. Sorry,” said Joker as he joined his team up in the Palace. 

From beneath the shadows of the night, a silhouette with horned helmet came out of the shade. Crimson eyes stared at Joker’s retreating back. He gave a sharp exhale. He shouldn’t have met the boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the angst from under the skin.   
> And I chose tulip because some people say it smells like mothballs. That can go together with Akira's cupboard smell, in my opinion xD


	3. Just Omega Things...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Omegas just want to have fun and sleep, ya know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omega!Akira is simply a big mood.

It’s such a stupid thing to be flustered about, Akira said in his mind. He washed the dishes with concealed interest on the detective sipping coffee calmly behind him. His mind needed to stop thinking for once. Do not succumb to stupid Omegan things. Falling in love with the fact that… 

…Akechi Goro is a lefty, was too dumb. In fact, the second dumbest thing his brain ever done to him, next to the event where he decided to kick a door off the hinges because he can’t pull it open. 

The door said PUSH. 

The dishes were slathered in foams when Akira groaned softly. He didn’t need another reminder in his life that he was more than capable to do stupid stuff like normal teenagers, aside from being a perfect leader for the greatest Phantom Thieves of Hearts. 

A sigh escaped his lips. How do people turn off their brain? He desperately needed it. 

Akechi might or might not have seen him having an existential crisis over washing dishes, but he’s kind enough to keep silent about it; inhaling the coffee like it’s the tastiest cologne on earth. To be fair, coffee-flavored scents sound really cool. He wished it was his. 

Speaking of scents, Akira never tried to break down how Akechi smelled like. He’s an Alpha, that much he knew, thanks from the scattering tabloids at Shujin. He took a deep breath. Akechi was the only one in Leblanc at the moment, so it made everything easier to pick up his scent. 

There was a detergent, perhaps from his clothes, and then something that smells of…mineral? Iron? Steel? Or is it…. 

_Blood?_

Akira was thankful he finished washing the cups because he’s not sure if his shaken hands would do a great job handling fragile things. Scent blockers did an awesome job in concealing Akechi’s scent. He’s not sure if he wanted to know who’s going to be Akechi’s other half. He was praying intently it’s not him. There’s tons of other Omegas out there, thousands of them ready to throw themselves at Akechi’s feet. He’s probably one of the few Omegas who would go around those bodies to poke Akechi at his cheek and say “Boo” just for fun. He’s adorable when he laughs. 

But probably not so adorable anymore when he has a smack of dried blood smell all over his palm. Akira shuddered in thinking whether it was Akechi’s or others. Either way, it’s bad. 

A rustle came from behind him. Akira turned around and saw Akechi handing out payments for his drink. “Thanks for today. Where’s Boss?” asked him. 

Akira shrugged. “He has something urgent coming up again.” He took the payment and watched as Akechi waited across the counter for a change. 

“You’re awfully silent today.” 

He spared Akechi a glance. “I’m always silent.” 

“True.” He puffed out a chuckle. “Today you’re especially silent then.” 

The cash register kicked out its drawer and crashed onto his stomach. Akira let out a small oof. “I just have a lot on my mind.” 

“Such as?” 

“Exams, probation, friends, boyfriends…” He handed out Akechi’s change while the detective went silent. It’s quite odd to see him going stiff, like a deer caught in the headlight. 

“…BoyfriendSSS?” Emphasized Akechi, his left hand meekly received the coins and put it in his pocket absent-mindedly. Akira’s stomach fluttered again. Stupid freaking butterflies. 

“Yeah.” He clicked his tongue. “I’m pretend-boyfriend to many, real-boyfriend to none.” 

Akechi gave a soft hum, his head nodding. “Friend problems, I reckon?” 

“Yep.” He popped the p at the end. “Turns out shitty people aren’t just myths. They exist to catcall my friends unless I’m there to give them a piece of my glare.” He rubbed his neck and wiggled his head. A few cracks were heard. “….And sometimes a punch.” 

The detective’s mouth formed a perfect O with that horrified gasp. It could probably fit a whole pancake with that size. “Kurusu-kun!” 

“They started it!” 

“You are on _probation_ , young man.” 

“So you want me to just stand there and let them feel up Ann?” Akira stood up straight and looked at Akechi’s crimson orbs. 

“Report to the officers, if you must.” Akechi grabbed his case with a dejected sigh. “Don’t make me worry over you. You’re already in trouble as is.” 

“What are you, my dad?” he mumbled to himself but apparently Akechi heard it, despite his wild mane he calls hair. 

“I am too young to be a dad, thank you very much. How about pretend-boyfriend?” A smile accompanied Akechi’s statement. 

“A pretend-boyfriend for this pretend-boyfriend?” They laughed together for a good five seconds before Akira answered. “Yeah, no.” 

He has half the mind to let this conversation die because _pretend-boyfriend what on earth is he talking about **stupid sexy Akechi**_ , but then he called up the detective before he managed to step outside of Leblanc. 

“Yes?” 

Akira sniffed the air once again. The pungent smell of blood was still there. “Are you injured?” 

He raised an eyebrow at the question. “Not that I know of…?” He started sniffing the air around him. “May I ask why?” 

“It’s nothing.” He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at Akechi. The detective left after a few moments of staring at Akira. 

Alone in the café, Akira reached the end of his curly bangs and twirled it in between his fingers. It could be minerals, yeah, sure, if Akechi had somehow went on a field trip to a cave recently or something. It could also be a steel factory, judging by the smell of rust in the air. Like Akechi has any real needs to go there in the first place. It all boiled down to blood; one that is not Akechi’s, it seems. It has been plaguing his life for far too long that Akechi can’t discern the smell of blood anymore. Akira stopped playing with his hair. 

Akechi is bad news, in more ways than one. 

* * *

Makoto was a great addition to his team of misfits. Not to say the Phantom Thieves weren’t functional before, but there’s a certain relief in knowing Yusuke wasn’t wandering off on his own for his pursue of aesthetics, Ann and Ryuji not bickering at the front lines, Morgana’s paws off any forbidden treasures that spells trouble each time. Not Akira though. He was an angel. 

Kaneshiro’s case was officially put to an end when he turned himself in to the cops, to their surprise. As Akira watched the live news, he can’t help but let a smirk of victory crept up his lips. There was no customers to see him. To be honest, there’s not much customers ever since he started living in the attic. How did Sojiro manage to keep his business up this long? 

Morgana came trotting downstairs after boring himself out sitting alone on the bed. “Akiraaaa!” meowed the not-cat from the counter. 

“Morgana, off the counter.” Akira frowned at him. 

“I want tuna~” whined Morgana. 

“Off the counter or no tuna.” He lashed a rag cloth at Morgana’s direction. 

The cat (or not cat) scrunched his nose. He hopped onto a nearby chair while watching Akira wiping his furry butt print. “Summer’s coming, right?” 

“Yep.” 

Summer is coming and he can’t wait to spend time at the beach with his friends. He could plan a few trips with only them, maybe a drive back to Inaba and meet his relatives there. Should he bring Akechi too? He’s not a friend, more of an acquaintance who he wished he didn’t know but he did anyway because fate hates him. Also, the detective looked really lonely. As far as Akira had seen, Akechi was always spending time in Leblanc, work and high school. He’s probably too cool for school anyway. 

His thought process was interrupted by a ping from his phone. A message from Ann. 

**Ann** : Let’s go to Mementos tonight! 

* * *

A few days into summer and they were crashed with bad news; Medjed. A digital organization that promised to unravel their identities if they failed to change their hearts by the end of the deadline. Remember when Akira said, it couldn’t get any worse? 

He really should learn how to keep his mouth shut. 

Akira was in such a bad mood he handed Morgana over to Sojiro for a few days. He went to bed late one night and everything fell to pieces. Thank goodness for summer holiday, because God knows, he didn’t want to get out of bed and do human stuff. 

On one blessed evening however, Ann waltzed into his room with Akira in peaceful slumber. Before she could wake him up gently, Ryuji stomped over to the bed and smacked Akira’s butt. 

“BRO! IT’S AFTERNOON, WAKE UP!” 

Shell-shocked, Akira’s hand went to rub the sore spot and groaned. His voice muffled by the pillow. Later, Ann’s voice greeted his ears. 

“Akira~ We got some snacks and soda. Wake up and watch a movie with us!” 

She sounded like an angel so Akira spared her the effort and woke up instantly. Akira sat down on the bed with his groggy eyes attached to Ann’s bouncy twin tails and Ryuji’s bright red T-shirt. He’s too tired to scan around the room but he’s sure that Yusuke and Makoto were somewhere in here too, judging by the conversation happening when his eyes were closed. 

His body was suddenly filled by fatigue in the beginning of summer, most probably a backfire from his early morning awakening during school season. He’s going to sleep his ass off and nobody, not even Morgana, can drag him out of bed. 

“Oh hey, Akechi’s downstairs.” 

Unless a certain detective was here, in which, he’s ready to jump out of the window at any given time. “What the fuck is he doing here…” mumbled him under his breath, sitting up straighter on his bed. 

“Language, Akira,” chided Makoto. 

“I don’t need this in my life…” said Akira as he dived down onto his pillow once again. Damn, he’s so tired all the time, this can’t be normal. Before he could swim into sleepyland, a hand pulled him by the collar. 

“Nuh uh, you’re not going back to bed,” said Ann. “We’re going to the cinema and you’re coming with us.” 

Akira gave her his best pout, maybe throw in a few flutters of his lashes, but apparently she’s immune to it. Damn it. 

“No acting cutesy. Giddy-up, my boy!” This time Ann smacked his butt, at the same spot Ryuji did a few minutes before. 

Why does everybody love to smack his butt so much? 

“Yeah, Cake Knight Rises just came out, dude, let’s go watch it!” 

“Everyone kept talking about it, I can’t help but be hyped about the release too.” 

“It is a very good stress reliever after studying for college entrance exam.” 

He let the voices died down as he descended the stairs to take a quick bath in the bathroom below. 

“Oh, hello Kuru—“ 

Akira shut the bathroom door before the voice could finish its sentence. He hung the towel nearby and grabbed his toothbrush. When his mind came back, he held the toothbrush in hand and re-opened the bathroom door. His eyes peeked outside and saw Akechi sitting at the counter, a steaming cup of coffee ready for him. 

“You’ll have to excuse him. He’s like a cat when he just woke up, especially since it’s summer now.” Sojiro’s embarrassed sigh can be heard even when Akira can’t see him. It took a while before Akechi saw his bedhead poking out of the bathroom door. 

“Good morning,” said him with a grin. 

“It’s 2PM,” replied Akira. 

“Exactly.” His grin stayed, mocking. 

_Ass_. 

Akira rolled his eyes, shut the bathroom door and took a much needed shower. He lingered longer than he usually would, just so Akechi would finish his coffee and leave before he got out of the bathroom. After practicing a few confident smile at the mirror, a swipe of scent blocker, and checking for zits on his face for about five minutes, he took a confident step outside of the bathroom. He at least had taken thirty minutes in there, Akechi surely would have left, right? 

Wrong. 

At the counter, he saw the teenager munching on a plate of curry because Sojiro was the nicest dad everyone should have. Not far from the plate, the same cup of coffee he saw from minutes ago. How long does he take up to gulp down a cup of coffee? A month? 

“Ah, welcome back! I see you’ve finished your bathe.” His TV smile was back, shining as bright as the sun that’s about to die. “Lunch?” Before Akira could decline, the detective continued. “..But if I guess this correctly, it’s breakfast for you, isn’t it?” 

Akira narrowed his gaze to Akechi. “…You’re an ass.” 

A chuckle echoed behind his back as Akira headed upstairs to change into something more suited for going out. He can’t stand another second being under a roof with Akechi Goro. His heart was making music he didn’t ask for. 

“What’s up Akira? You look very unamused.” Morgana’s voice followed behind him as he slipped on a white shirt. 

“It’s nothing.” _Where the fuck are these jeans?_

“You’ve been snappy lately.” 

“No, I did not.” He glared weakly at Morgana’s silhouette on the desk. 

“You’re doing it again.” 

His hands roughly pulled out a pair of comfortable slacks. “Maybe because I got a cat breathing down my neck every second of my life.” He didn’t know why he’s getting angry at nothing. This was his usual chat with Morgana and somehow he’s so sensitive. It’s probably the fatigue again. 

“Hey, if you’re not up to it, we could cancel the plan,” said Makoto, obviously concerned with Akira’s silent rage. 

“Yes. You look rather flushed too. Maybe it’s better if we play video games instead,” supported Yusuke on the couch. 

“Flushed?” _Sensitive?_

Hold up. 

The realization hit Akira like a bullet to the head. He stood still as he stared into nothingness, still astounded. 

His heat was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't in my best mood to write something good but I tried real hard since I take pride in updating regularly. Hope you guys will enjoy this too! I tried my best :'D


	4. No Chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer days go by but the heat says "Hi"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry for the pun.  
> This chapter is mostly to build the story around the Phantom Thieves as they have little screentime from previous chapters. Only mentions of Akechi this time!  
> Disclaimer: Persona 5 is a game by ATLUS.

His phone rang just out of his arm’s reach. A groan came from underneath layers of blanket on the still bed. The room was barely illuminated with only one window situated almost on top of the wall. After a few seconds of rustling, a mop of black hair was spotted on the bed. 

This heat sucks. It’s like a woman’s period, just more terrible (From a totally unbiased opinion of his). A new wave overcame him and he’s back on his whimpering. It’s called the heat for a reason. An overwhelming hot sensation, swelling, throbbing, killing him from the inside. Akira got a theory as to how it works. His womb was demanding for a baby but it didn’t get what it wanted so it started munching down itself out of spite. Well, damn. He’s a lot like his uterus, he supposes. 

He adjusted his legs to a more comfortable position after curling up like Morgana for a few hours. His backbone cracked as he stretched and yawned. Not the most pleasant way to wake up from a dreamless sleep, but he’ll have to settle for that for now. He can’t go out of this room or he’ll get ravaged and never to be seen again. Akira would choose to be a hermit any day. 

As he tried to stand, he looked at his pants, slightly soaked from overflowing lubrication. Fuck, he cursed in his mind. His legs pushed away the blankets to see if the wetness seep through them; thankfully it didn’t. He’ll have to ask Tae for new sets of blanket if so. 

It was a fortunate coincidence that Tae got an unused room above her clinic, specifically for when she has to stay overnight and wake up early tomorrow. Akira came to question on how often she does that because Lord knows, that goth doctor looked like she could use an hour or two of sleeping. She seems tired all the time, but all doctors are like that, so it’s probably a doctor thing. 

With a combined effort from his limbs, Akira managed to walk into the toilet and took a freshening shower, changed into a new set of pants and pads, and sat back on the bed. 

Two days ago, he told Sojiro he’s going on a summer trip to his friend’s house and will disappear for two weeks at most. The older man didn’t implore for more details, and simply asked for him to be careful on his trip and take care. He was probably speculating Akira went on a Spirited Away trek somewhere in Sumaru, enjoying nature and fresh mountain air. 

God, what wouldn’t he give for a breath of fresh air at the moment. 

The air in this room was too stuffy. He’s been breathing the same air for two days and it’s driving him nuts. How can an Alpha appreciate this scent? It’s only doing one thing and that is making him lose his mind. Omegas during heat has a more intense scent that has a certain tanginess in them. That was probably what the Alphas crave. All Akira can say was it’s definitely not his taste. 

He turned on the TV and flipped around the channel. He stopped at the news broadcasting about the newest mental shutdown case, successfully killing two people and injuring many more. It was a man and his daughter. 

He winced. Kaneshiro warned them about the black mask running behind their backs and making the Metaverse their playground. He wished he could dig more on it but the Palace was threatening to crush them if they don’t escape immediately. The black mask was, no doubt, the culprit behind these mental shutdowns and he swore by Igor’s nostrils, he will put an end to it. 

His navel pulsed again, this time with vengeance. 

Alright, maybe after this heat was over. 

A knock was heard at the door. He dragged his feet towards it and opened the door, revealing Tae with some food and drinks for him. “Hello.” Low feminine voice came from the woman. 

“Hello, Tae,” answered the teenager. He gave way for the doctor to walk inside the room and settled on his bed. 

“For someone undergoing heat, you’re a pretty neat Omega.” She placed the plastic bag on the nightstand and sat down on the bed. Her eyes scanned the room that’s furnished with a bed, TV and couch, with none of Akira’s belonging in sight. Considering she doesn’t spend a lot of time up here, the lack of furniture was justified. “You sure you don’t need toys? I’m an adult. I can grab some for you.” 

Akira wasn’t sure how to interpret that as anything other than _inappropriate_ , but there’s no one else that can help him in this matter. “I’m good. I’ll exercise a bit to spend my energy and occupy my mind with something else. Thanks for lending the room.” 

Tae tried to keep it professional, and honestly Akira appreciated it, but this talk wasn’t something he wants to indulge with someone he’s not intimate with. 

“I’m serious. I’m okay.” He stood up from the bed, running away from Tae’s level stare. 

She simply shrugged. “You’re an odd duck, kid, but alright, if you say so.” She dipped her hand in one pocket and pulled out a small packet of pills. “Here’s painkillers if the heat is too much.” Her heels clicked as she walked to the door, and she turned before she stepped outside, her hand on the doorknob. “Well, good luck, guinea pig,” said her with a glint in her eyes. 

The door closed and Akira grabbed the medication, contemplating taking one to reduce his misery. He’s been in pain for the whole day, he could use the help. Hence, he gulped down a pill with a sprig of water. It was only after a minute of stretching and moving around, his mind clicked. 

Akira rushed back to the pills and looked for any information on the packet. 

There’s none. 

The _good luck_ from Tae suddenly made sense as he passed out on the floor. 

* * *

**Ryuji** : Akira, you there? 

**Ann** : You’ve been missing for the better half of this week. 

**Yusuke** : I sometimes do that unconsciously too. Painting can make me lose interest in everything else. 

**Ryuji** : Everything else, as in, eating properly and socialize? 

**Yusuke** : I don’t see why I should compromise my painting time with something as trivial as that. 

**Ann** : Trivial… 

**Makoto** : Yusuke, please eat properly. At least, for our sake. 

**Akira** : Yes. You can give up on socializing but please eat. 

**Ryuji** : HE’S ALIVE! 

**Ann** : HE’S ALIVE! 

**Yusuke** : HE’S INDEED ALIVE! 

**Makoto** : …..Congratulations? 

**Akira** : Thanks, I guess? 

**Ryuji** : Dude! Where were you? 

**Akira** : Out trekking with a friend in Sumaru. 

**Makoto** : That’s quite a distance from here. 

**Ann** : When did you go? 

**Akira** : Three days ago. 

**Yusuke** : And you will be away from Shibuya until when? 

**Akira** : Give me until next week. Then we’ll do something about Medjed. 

**Makoto** : Did Alibaba contact you recently? 

**Akira** : Nothing so far. 

**Makoto** : I see. I was hoping we could get more news on how to proceed, since summer here is pretty boring without anything to do. 

**Ann** : Wait… You said a friend… Is it someone we know? 

**Ryuji** : Don’t tell me it’s Akechi. 

**Akira** : What? No! What gives you that idea? 

**Ann** : Well, you guys talked quite ofte 

**Akira** : He’s not my friend. 

**Ann** : LET ME FINISH! 

**Akira** : Yes, ma’am. 

**Ann** : Everytime he’s at Leblanc, you two always have something to talk about. 

**Ryuji** : I’m telling you, he’s bad news. Don’t get all buddy-buddy with him or he’ll find out. 

**Makoto** : To be fair, you guys aren’t exactly subtle in being Phantom Thieves. 

**Yusuke** : How did Makoto find out about us again, Ryuji? 

**Ryuji** : Alright guys, it was ONE time 

**Akira** : One time huh? 

**Ryuji** : NCS;JLRGKDV 

**Ann** : I’ll bring duct tape next time we have a meeting at the hideout. 

**Makoto** : Excellent idea. Enjoy your trip, Akira. 

**Akira** : Will do :) 

**Yusuke** : Ann duct-taping Ryuji… I think I have a new idea for my painting. 

**Ann** : Yusuke NO! 

**Makoto** : Yusuke NO! 

**Ryuji** : DUDE NO! 

**Akira** : DUDE YES! 

* * *

A week passed and his heat was still going strong. Akira tumbled around in bed; it’s getting too warm for him. He’s tired of waking up only to feel uncomfortable and constantly worry if his pants are soaked. He had slept so much, he got tired of sleeping, and that’s rich coming from Akira who sleeps like a cat. 

He got up from the bed, stretched his limbs until his joints cracked like they’re singing along death metal music, took a shower and called Tae. 

A few rings were all it took before Tae picked up. 

“Tae Takemi’s Medical Clinic, how can I help you?” 

“Hey, Tae. It’s Akira. About the heat suppressant you mentioned before…” 

* * *

“I thought you will be gone until next Sunday?” asked Makoto during their study session in Leblanc. 

Akira’s hand played with his hair as he replied, “change of plans. His grandmother fell down the stairs and we had to cut the vacation short.” 

The teenager wouldn’t feel as bad when lying if Makoto wasn’t showing utmost sympathy on her face. “Oh… I’m sorry to hear that… Is she okay?” 

“She’s still breathing, don’t worry.” He smiled. “Just gonna be bedridden for the rest of the week.” 

Ann played with her pen and later sandwiched it in between her upper lips and nostrils. “Poor grandma. I guess someday that’ll be us too…” 

Morgana hopped onto the empty space beside Akira and interjected, “welp, if Akira’s not being careful and exercise regularly, it might happen sooner than we think.” 

“This son of a—“ 

And chaos ensued. 

The bell jingled and Yusuke stepped into Leblanc. “I’m sorry I’m late. The train was packed with people.” He stopped short at the entrance as he saw Morgana clinging onto Akira’s face and the boy pulling the cat by his tail. “Is everything okay?” 

A muffled response came from Akira and a shriek from Morgana. 

“They’re fine,” said Ann in place for them. 

Yusuke nodded and took a place at the counter. His eyes went to Sojiro who was busying himself with the crossword on a newspaper. “Good evening, Sakura-san.” 

“Ah, hello.” His head finally lifted after minutes of being still. “You hungry? I’ll heat up some curry for you.” 

Upon hearing about food, Yusuke lit up like a lightbulb. “Yes, I would appreciate that very much.” 

The older man walked to the kitchen, turned on the stove and went back to his crossword puzzle. In the background, sounds of Akira struggling with Morgana was prominent, it worried Yusuke by a bit. “I’m surprised you can focus with this much…mayhem in the café.” 

Sojiro peeked from behind his glasses at the commotion, and looked back at the game, undisturbed. “It’s normal for them to squabble. I don’t understand a quack the cat says but if it makes him happy, I just let him be.” 

Then a thud was heard. Akira’s book somehow went flying to his face, his glasses be damned. Morgana probably swatted it somewhere. 

“I swear to God, Morgana.” 

“Fight me.” 

“You wanna go?!” 

“¬Mrooww!” 

“Uh, Sakura-san, I think it’s getting worse…” Yusuke looked back to Sojiro who truly seemed unperturbed, it’s quite amazing. The man lazily glanced at his two freeloaders and went to the back, pulling out plates of curry and a small bowl of freshly cut sashimi. He put the plate in front of the two and immediately, Akira and Morgana’s focus went to the food. Sojiro didn’t forget to give a serving to Yusuke, whose eyes widened at the efficient way Sojiro shut them up. 

The man sat back down and reached for the newspaper, enjoying his silence as the teenagers occupied with either food or chatting. Yusuke’s eyes never left Sojiro as he dug into the curry. A small smirk was seen from him. “As the years of parenting go by, you learn to distract the children in under one minute,” uttered Sojiro, eyes glued to the crossword. 

* * *

**Ryuji** : Guys! You won’t believe who stopped by my mom’s store this afternoon! 

**Ann** : Emperor Akihiko? 

**Ryuji** : -_____- 

**Ann** : I thought it’s a free guessing game. 

**Makoto** : Who was it, Ryuji? 

**Ryuji** : Akechi! 

**Yusuke** : Are you for real? 

**Ryuji** : Yes, FOR REAL! 

**Ann** : Yusuke, why are you like this… 

**Akira** : What was he doing there? 

**Ryuji** : Who knows what that sketchy bastard is up to but I kept an eye on him every second. 

**Yusuke** : I mean, it’s a local convenience store. He’s probably there to get supplies for his school… 

**Ryuji** : He bought some bandages, man! You tell me that ain’t sketchy?! 

**Makoto** : I think you’re overthinking this. 

**Ryuji** : Am I though? He probably has litters of convenience store around his apartment but he went all the way to my house to buy bandages? Now you tell me that’s not fishy at all. 

**Ann** : Ryuji might be onto something here… 

**Yusuke** : Buying bandages does seem out of place but it’s really not my place to say so. I injure myself a lot of times and Madarame often patched me up. 

**Ann** : Oh… Yusuke… I’m sorry :( 

**Yusuke** : I thought we’re beyond the pitying point, Ann. 

**Yusuke** : I’m fine now. I have you guys after all. 

**Akira** : He’s right. If he injured himself, we’ll be there to patch him up. 

**Makoto** : How about you be more careful from now on? ^^;; 

**Ryuji** : Come on. It’s Yusuke. He’ll probably swim with the ducks if it meant a better view for his painting. 

**Yusuke** : Yes. 

**Makoto** : Not even a second of hesitation… 

**Akira** : Morgana said he’s glad Makoto joined cuz Akira don’t do shit. 

**Akira** : Excuse me while I go wrestle this fucker. 

**Ann** : Akira does a lot though! 

**Ryuji** : Yeah! He did a lot of shit! 

**Makoto** : I also agree. If it’s not for him, I’ll probably still be neck-deep in debt with Kaneshiro. 

**Yusuke** : And I’ll still be blinded by Madarame’s fake kindness. 

**Ann** : And us, abused by Kamoshida… 

**Ryuji** : It’s all in the past. Let’s look forward to the future now. 

**Ryuji** : Okay now back to A-sketchy. 

**Ann** : You seem pretty invested with that detective. 

**Ryuji** : Not invested, it’s disgusted. 

**Makoto** : He hasn’t been visiting Leblanc, I assume? 

**Yusuke** : Akira? 

**Makoto** : I think he’s still brawling with Morgana… 

**Akira** : I’m here. 

**Akira** : Yes, he hasn’t been coming in like usual. 

**Akira** : Probably off doing sketchy things. 

**Ryuji** : How did the fight go? Did you win? 

**Akira** : Let’s not talk about the casualties for now. 

**Ann** : He lost. 

**Akira** : >:( 

**Akira** : I assume he’s awaiting our next move since he has no clue on how we operate. I also can’t observe him since he’s not dropping by Leblanc. If I start stalking him to see what he’s up to, that would only give a different signal. 

**Makoto** : How about Alibaba? Did they give you any new messages? 

**Akira** : Actually, yes, they did. 

**Ryuji** : !!!!! Why didn’t you tell us earlier?! 

**Akira** : Because they literally just gave me a message a second ago. 

**Akira** : It says, “Ask Sakura Sojiro about Sakura Futaba.” 

**Ann** : We’ll start from there, then. 

**Makoto** : Tomorrow? 

**Akira** : Tomorrow at Leblanc, 2pm. 

* * *

Before he slept that night, Akira popped a pill into his mouth. This didn’t go unnoticed by Morgana who gave him the stinkeye from the couch. 

“It’s heat suppressant, not a drug…” explained Akira before he gulped a mouthful of water. 

“I’m pretty sure there are side effects for that?” His tail whipped right and left, firm with suspicion. 

“Yes, Tae did say… “ He pulled up his fingers and started counting. “Nausea, hallucinations, hormonal imbalance, and… death.” 

Morgana’s eyes looked like they’ll pop out of their sockets. 

“Joking.” Akira clicked his tongue. “But true for the first three.” 

“Won’t it mess with your heat cycle later on?” 

“It probably will, but you know.” Akira laid down on the bed, pulling up the blanket to cover his feet. “Anything’s better than shoving things up my ass to spend the day.” 

The feline had already moved on top of him and curled on his stomach. “When you put it that way…” 

“There’s no other way to put it, Morgana.” He closed his eyes. The moonlight was fierce tonight; the trails of light illuminated his bed. It was quite a sight. 

“ _I hate being an Omega._ ” 

Morgana, for once, let him wallow in frustration that night and went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During the study session at Leblanc, Ryuji was off helping his mother at the store.  
> And I seem to have a weird fascination towards ducks at this chapter. Huh.


	5. Leveling up Social Kink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi spends time in Leblanc and gulped more coffee than he can swallow.  
> Akechi-centric just for this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that time when I said I can update regularly?  
> heheheheheh hehe he hEEH H EH Heheh  
> Yeah.... ._.  
> btw, warning. Akechi is low-key thirsty for a certain someone. I used Kurusu for the chapter since it's Akechi-centric.

His eyes followed Kurusu’s movement as he moved behind the counter, preparing a fresh cup of coffee for him. It’s quite odd. He hasn’t ordered anything yet. 

“You looked like you’ve had a rough day,” voiced Kurusu, hands occupied with measuring the ratio of several coffee beans. 

Akechi chuckled, low, husky and _tired_. Damn that Kurusu. He always knew what to do to make him feel better. He hoped his bangs hid the eyebags well. It probably didn’t, judging from Kurusu’s concerned stare. “My boss was relentless these days. Crimes picked up as summer started.” The smell of coffee wafted in the air as Kurusu started boiling his special blend. “I guess criminals also went all-out during holiday season…” The lighting in Leblanc was just right – not too bright, not too dim. Simply perfect, like Kurusu – His eyes can rest in here. 

Minutes passed by with comfortable silence. Kurusu with making the coffee like Sojiro taught while sparing occasional glance at the TV and Akechi. The detective spending time with a stray pamphlet on the counter and a few books on mythological warriors. 

Akechi was absolutely indulging the stories of ancient war – a clutter of nonsense and exaggerated metaphor, yet it was wholly entertaining – when he heard a clink beside him. A cup was placed and the smell of coffee intensified. Caffeine, earthy and… 

“…Blueberry?” He raised an eyebrow. 

Kurusu nodded, an amused smile adorned his lips. “I honestly have no idea what I added originally, but it’s a pleasant surprise, right?” He carefully poured the coffee and pushed it towards Akechi. The detective was hesitant. 

“Are you testing new coffee mix on me?” 

The teenager only shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?” 

A level stare again. From Kurusu to the cup back to Kurusu. A sigh escaped his lips as he reached for the cup. “True. It’s not like I have anything to lose.” 

A sip turned into two sips and later, the cup was half-empty. He was surprised by the speed of his coffee consummation. Either he’s very thirsty or the coffee was easy to drink. 

“Wow, that good?” A low chuckle reverberated from Kurusu. 

“My apologies. It’s very good.” He took another sip. “Is that…sweetness?” Akechi stared into the coffee he’s swirling. “Kurusu, what exactly did you put in this?” 

Kurusu leaned back, trying to remember. “Hmm, the usual Arabica, a bit Jamaican, and something… that I don’t recall…” He looked back to Akechi. “Whatever it was, it is not sugar. You said sweet?” 

“Yes, it is. Mild sweetness, just right.” Somehow a simple conversation like this picked up his mood. Speaking with Kurusu usually does that, and he’s very glad that he can let loose in here. 

“Then it must be the extra love and care I put.” 

He almost choked on his drink. His hands pulled the cup of coffee away from his lips to take time to even his breath. A few coughs passed, and Akechi looked back to Kurusu, blush going wild on his face. “W-what?” 

“I was kidding.” A small grin crossed Kurusu’s face and it’s honestly the cutest thing he’s ever seen all week. 

He went back to carefully sipping his mystery coffee, while Kurusu got a mug and poured himself the same drink. The boy sat beside Akechi and the detective thought his heart was going to burst. He tried to act normal, hiding his blush with his overgrown hair and focused on the coffee alone. 

“ _On to the next news. Medjed seems to make true of their promise as several companies have been exposed their secrets to the public and subsequently, to the police. The authorities had taken proactive steps to prevent more digital cases such as these, however the public seem to rely on the Phantom Thieves to finally take action as the original threat was pointed towards them._ ” 

Akechi tuned out the TV’s news broadcast as he went deep into thinking. The Phantom Thieves were taking their sweet time and it’s unnerving; Both to him and Shido. If they don’t take action now, his plan will fall into pieces and Shido would soon dispose of him before he could eliminate the politician. What to do… 

“Your frown is back.” Kurusu’s voice pulled him back to reality. Immediately, his face went back into smiling. A TV habit that he can’t brush off. 

“I’m sorry. The Phantom Thieves case kept nagging at the back of my head.” He inhaled the residual coffee and put it on the saucer. “Say, Kurusu, do you support the justice system or the Phantom Thieves?” 

The black-haired boy lifted his face from his mug. His eyes widened slightly, not expecting the question. The lithe hands put the mug on the counter. After a delicate sigh, Kurusu answered. “I support whichever side that helps people in need.” 

A tight smile formed on his face. Akechi saw that coming from miles away. “The Phantom Thieves then?” 

Kurusu nodded. 

“I see. But don’t you agree what they are doing are highly risky? We don’t know the real extent of their ability, whether they could change people’s hearts into believing what they are doing is real justice or simply messed up criminals’ hearts into making dangerous acts?” 

The boy’s hand held his long black bangs and twisted it, his own personalized version of the twitch. There it was. 

“What you’re doing is just assumption, Akechi. It’s not baseless, as I can see where your doubt comes from. Mental shutdown cases are everywhere these days. However, have you considered they are not the only ones who have access to this ‘change of heart’? Moreover, Phantom Thieves usually delivers their calling card to make sure their target knows they’re going to be next. Mental shutdown cases don’t. The victims just die.” 

Ah, the sound of Kurusu readying himself for a long debate. Akechi dreamed of this scene everytime. Even his scent at the moment was intoxicating. 

“What makes it justice? The country set a system so everyone has equal opportunity to be judged, fair and square. The idea of vigilante justice the Phantom Thieves brought might be the thing that makes or breaks the system. On the long run, people would look back to this era and think we are simply savages who goes by no rules.” 

“Sometimes we need to break rules.” The stare from Kurusu is making him feel hot. “Sometimes we need swift actions to save the people. The justice system this country wrote and agreed upon, it wasn’t wrong. But if it costs a lot of lives just by going through it, I’d rather side on the Phantom Thieves who actually acts when we need them.” The grip on his mug loosened up. “The system has failed a lot of people… I don’t think I want to rely on it for the time being.” 

Akechi forgot that Kurusu was sent to Shibuya on probation, by the corrupted justice he was defending right now. Such bullcrap. Such nonsense coming out of his well-trained mouth. He should defend Kurusu instead. If his investigation was right, Kurusu is probably his only chance of salvation from the nightmare he’s living in. 

“…I’m sorry for bringing up a sore spot.” Akechi looked away from Kurusu’s intense stare, looking sheepish. “How are your parents? Do they contact you during your stay in here?” 

Step 1 of apologizing to your crush: Ask them about their parents. 

Kurusu gave him a questioning stare. “Weren’t we….talking about justice system…? What does that have to do with my parents?” With a big gulp of his own coffee, he seemed to be tired of the heavy chat himself. “They’re doing fine. I hope. No news about them so far, so I assume they’re alive and busy as usual.” 

With that irritated tone, Akechi can only assume the talk about parents wasn’t a thing he wanted to keep up. “W-what about Boss? And your friends? Any plans for the summer?” 

The boy’s eyes stuck to Akechi as the detective tried to avoid meeting his eyes. _He’s only trying to apologize, why is it so hard?_

“They’re alive and well, as you can see. You have been stalking us, I’m sure you saw it yourself.” 

Akechi’s heart nearly stopped. Was he found out? 

“…I’m only joking. You don’t need to be so shocked.” A snicker was heard from Kurusu. This freaking boy would be the death of him. Akechi braved himself to look at Kurusu’s direction, and he regretted it immediately. 

Kurusu’s sharp eyes were watching his every movement and he’s never felt so naked, even when he’s wearing two layers of clothing in this blazing summer. The raven’s scent turned into something cool and focused, as if observing Akechi. 

Step 2 of apologizing to your crush: fall into a bumbling mess in front of them. 

“I-is something…wrong… Kurusu?” 

With eyes still glued to him, Kurusu spoke. “You seem tense.” 

Akechi cleared his throat and grabbed his cup of coffee to finish it. “Am I?” Nervous chuckle echoed from him as he gulped down the remnants of his drink. 

The boy next to him also finished his coffee it seemed. Kurusu smacked his lips a few times (cute!), savoring the leftover taste of blueberry on his lips. “I’m heading towards the onsen in front of Leblanc. Do you want to come with?” 

There’s no more coffee in his throat, and yet somehow he managed to choke on something else such as air. Akechi coughed hard out of embarrassment. His face was painted red at the suggestion. “I, uh, have no spare towels to use.” 

“I have extra.” 

_He should’ve just denied it if he doesn’t want to!_ But Akechi didn’t think he was against the idea. Hence, he agreed. 

Step 3 of apologizing to your crush: regret the options you have chosen until now. 

As he soaked in the tub, with water rested just right above his nipples, Kurusu utterly comfortable sitting right next to him, _bumping shoulders as they talk_ … He might not make it through the night. He’d let himself drown in this very tub. Not to mention, Kurusu’s scent was driving him wild. The cupboard smell was actually wooden, earthy, like a coffee freshly brewed, and it’s refreshing. He could drink that coffee all day. 

“Akechi?” 

His voice was music to his ears. Soothing to the heart. 

“You look flushed. Are you okay?” 

He should’ve asked for an extra towel to cover his face while soaking in the tub. It’s normal for people to do that in onsen. It’s totally normal to have your heart racing when talking with your crush. 

A splash was heard beside him and suddenly, a palm rested on his forehead. “Maybe you should come out now. You don’t look good…” 

Is it normal to die out of extreme blushing? Because he’d totally die if Kurusu kept this up. 

“I’m fine,” mumbled Akechi, just enough for the other boy to hear him. At the same time, he held Kurusu’s hand, moving it away from his forehead. 

“Then why do you look so red?” 

_Because of you_. “Because of the fog. If I breathe in too much fog, I get drowsy.” Out of everything else in the onsen, he chose to blame the fog. Brilliant. 

Kurusu looked around innocently. It still didn’t change the fact that he’s not wearing anything in the tub, next to Akechi. Oh God, Akechi felt the need to punch his feral Alpha side. 

“The fog’s not that thick though. I’ve seen worse.” He looked over to Akechi. “But if you’re not comfortable, you can come out. The group of old men that stays late here will pour out all the hot water in the tub and it will feel like you’re boiling yourself alive.” The small laugh that accompanied his statement was frankly the cutest thing Kurusu could’ve done. 

What a lovely night. 

He gave a loud sigh, leaned his head on the wall behind and tried to picture something else. Something that wouldn’t spark a hard-on in the middle of talking with his crush. 

He imagined the park that he used to visit when he was a child. The river not far from there. The bench where he cried for a long time. The tree that he sat underneath. All the memories he wished Kurusu existed alongside him. It would change his life so much. 

But it’s all too late. He’s tainted inside. He had crossed the line where human is not supposed to, and he paid the price with his slipping sanity. 

Kurusu deserved better than him. 

He didn’t remember when he started seeing stars. He did remember his world turned black. It’s all normal. He was used to it. 

* * *

Akechi woke up with a gasp. A damp cloth was on his forehead. He’s currently resting on somebody’s bed that he didn’t recognize. It seems to be an attic or the sort. 

At a nearby sofa, he heard soft snores coming from a blanketed figure. A mop of curly black hair peeked out. The rise and fall of the figure indicated that he’s still breathing. 

So he’s still living. Great. At least he didn’t kill someone while he’s out cold. Not saying he’s done it. 

When he was scanning the room, he was brought to realize that he passed out while taking a dip in the onsen. He lifted the thin layer of sheet on him. 

Oh, he has clothes on. Cool. 

Who put it on him though? 

And the blush came back with full force. Slowly, he sauntered towards Kurusu who’s sleeping soundly. It felt like a sin to wake him up. 

“Kurusu…” whispered him in the darkness of the attic. His deft fingers held the boy’s shoulder and shook it gently. “Kurusu,” called him again. 

The figure groaned, and later the blanket was pulled downwards, revealing Kurusu with even messier hair, squinting his sleepy eyes at Akechi. “…Oh, you’re awake…” He yawned, tried to cover his mouth with his hand. 

Fuck, if that wasn’t the most adorable thing on earth. 

“Go back to sleep Akechi. It’s too early to wake me up.” And he pulled the blanket back on his face, but Akechi held it. 

“I have a question.” 

Kurusu hummed, slightly in annoyance because his sleep was interrupted. 

“Did…Did you see it all?” 

“See what?” 

Akechi gulped. Maybe it’s not worth asking the second time. Let it go. “….I-in the onsen…” _Lol nope_. 

Kurusu’s eyes looked fresher than before, and _is that a tinge of blush on his cheeks?!_

“Good night, Akechi.” Kurusu turned around and pulled the blanket once more. This time Akechi’s hands let it slip off his grip. Akechi stood frozen at his spot for a few minutes. He felt like laughing but he didn’t. He dragged his feet across the floor and laid back down on the bed, pulling the sheet up to his chin. 

Kurusu definitely saw it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be a responsible writer and tell you. The next time I update this story will be...when my mood to draw my commissions fade again! xD jk I'll try to stick with my schedule.


	6. Accessories Made to Complement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shenanigans continue to ensue as summer goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a chapter I put together in less than a week, mostly because of my own laziness. I wish I could give a sound excuse but no, I can't come up with anything -.-;;
> 
> Disclaimer: Persona 5 is owned by ATLUS.

The jiggle irritated Ryuji’s ears as the hand swiftly made contact with the desk. His brown eyes followed the bracelet, a tiny bell attached to it, clasped on the pale wrist. The hand wrote something down on the notebook, the bracelet’s faint sprinkle annoyed the blond boy some more. 

He smacked his hand on the table, shocking other occupants on the same booth. “That’s it!” exclaimed Ryuji. 

Five pairs of owlish eyes blinked at his sudden burst. 

“Akira! Why are you wearing that bracelet?!” 

Everyone’s eyes turned towards Akira sitting at the edge, not far from Ryuji. Akira stared at his best friend for a good while, then glanced at his wrist, now adorned with the silver bracelet. “What’s wrong with me wearing it?” 

A series of intangible sounds came from the blond. Ann’s snicker erupted after holding it in for more than an hour. She saw how giddy Ryuji was the entire time she was tutoring him. “I gave it to him at school because gacha gave me an extra. Come on Ryuji, Akira’s soooo cute with that!” 

The others spared a peek at Akira, now posing extravagantly with the bracelet jiggling, flipping his one and a half inches curly locks. 

“No, he ain’t cute!” Ryuji rubbed his face once, turning slightly red. “Cut that shit out, man, it’s throwing me off.” 

“But Ryuji.” Akira pouted excessively. “Don’t I at least make a cute girl?” 

Makoto sighed. Yusuke distracted. Morgana left some time ago. And Akechi was the only one getting too affected by Akira’s subtle flirting. If one scrutinizes enough, they can see his heart vibrating in his chest. 

“And what’s that guy doing here?” Ryuji pointed his finger at the detective, and the boy replied with his usual smile. “I thought we’re having a group study?” 

“That’s why I invited him here. Makoto agreed on having an extra head,” answered Akira, eyes focused on flipping the Japanese literature homework. “You have Ann to teach you English. Makoto kind of does her own things most of the time, and Yusuke is just… drawing. Lastly, I can’t study with Morgana.” 

“But…but…” 

The leader can see the gears turning in Ryuji’s head. He’s refraining himself from saying _It’s Phantom Thieves’ business_ out loud, and honestly it’s very amusing to see. He smirked, cocking an eyebrow upon waiting for Ryuji to complete his sentence. This didn’t go unnoticed by the blond. 

“I hate you…” he breathed out to Akira and the raven laughed maniacally. 

The reason Akira invited Akechi along was to prevent them from being sidetracked by more Phantom Thieves talk, considering they just completed Futaba’s Palace last night, and absolutely not because he grew smittened with the cute detective. Summer break is almost over and their homework showed no progress since the day the holiday started. This cannot continue. 

What he wasn’t expecting was for Goro to look too excited to grab the chance. Akira thought the detective would be off solving crimes at a mansion raided by heavy thunderstorm. Not that he’s complaining. Lately, he’s been having weird flutters in his stomach whenever he saw Akechi on TV. His fake smiles be damned -- Akira felt like skinning himself alive at the corny jokes -- but he’s just glad Akechi’s out there, living and breathing. Someday, when he’s ready, he’ll extend a hand to Akechi to be a closer friend. 

Beside him, Akechi coughed in his arms, his cheeks flushed. He cleared his throat. “K-Kurusu, so this question…” 

Yes, he boldly asked Akechi to tutor him about Literature. He already got 90% in his midterms but Akechi doesn’t have to know that. Is this flirting? Probably. Is he in deep? Perhaps. 

Akira was sure that none of what Akechi had explained pass through his brain. His eyes behind the glasses just scanned his locks, eyes, nose, lips, pores, scruffy eyebrow… 

“Kurusu!” 

The boy blinked. “Yes?” 

“Are you listening?” 

He instantly answered _yes_. 

“Then tell me what you understand from it.” Akechi folded his arms across his chest. 

Akira gulped. “I wasn’t listening, I’m sorry.” He spent no hesitance to admitting through his lie. 

The detective beside him sighed. “We’ll get back to this question later. It’s pretty tough to grasp, I have to admit…” The mechanical pencil in Akechi’s hand was dropped. 

“What were you daydreaming about? I’m not good enough to get your attention?” 

A coy smile spread across Akechi’s face and Akira almost turned deep red. “I was thinking about…” _Hmm, what to bullshit_. 

“…About?” 

“…Hello Kitty.” 

Akechi raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

“Whether it’s the kitties saying Hello to us, or us saying Hello to the kitties.” 

If there’s anything the group agrees, it was that Akira is the king of bullshitting. What makes it worse was that, he’s so good at it, he’d confuse them all the time whether he’s been lying or not. 

“Dude,” interrupted Ryuji from a corner. “It could be the kitties are from the Hello clan.” 

Here sat the lesser king of bullshitting, Ryuji. 

His eyes widened at the realization. “That is an apt idea, Ryuji.” 

“No no no.” Akechi interfered. “First of all, if it’s us saying Hello to the kitties, there should be a comma after Hello, hence, it’d be Hello, Kitty, not Hello Kitty.” 

“So you don’t deny the possibility that they’re kitties from the Hello clan?” 

“Why in the world would anybody pick Hello to name their clan?” 

“Why wouldn’t they?” 

Akechi opened and closed his mouth a few times like a fish. “I’m not going to entertain you with my answers any longer.” 

“Ryuji, one. Akechi, zero.” Ryuji grinned while leaning back on the sofa. Ann and Makoto only shook their heads, muttering a silent _boys will be boys._

* * *

The walk to the train station was quiet and uneventful. Akira’s hand often brushed against Akechi’s as they walked side by side, until that one time his bracelet caught on his sleeve so they had to pull aside and resolve the problem. Still didn’t explain why Akechi was beet red all the time. 

When they arrived, the trains were going slow because peak hour just passed, so they hung around waiting for the next one to come. 

“That bracelet suits you,” said Akechi, face sheepish and red under his bangs. 

“Thank you.” Finally, somebody who agrees with his fashion statement. 

A few moments passed with comfortable silence. Akechi stirred in his stand, switching legs each minute. He seemed to want to start a conversation with Akira but he was short on ideas, or that’s what it looked like to Akira. The other boy only kept silent, watching his every move. It was very amusing to see Akechi losing his composure from his usual TV face. Akechi was actually very adorable, despite the persona he put on live shows. The fact that his scent was untraceable other than blood only piqued Akira’s interest even more. 

What on earth is he thinking about? Is this a new kink he developed? Who’s interested in blood scent? 

His stupid mind suddenly pictured Akechi drenched in blood after a good fight with other Alphas, and he almost swooned. 

Nope. Nope. Akira, stop. This wasn’t something you should picture in the public. 

“Oh the train’s here.” 

Akechi’s voice snapped him out of his mind. He straightened his posture and tailed Akechi, stopped just before the door. “I’ll see you around?” 

“Yes.” The detective was still blushing. Is he okay? “Until then.” 

Suddenly the need to tease him arose. “Akechi.” 

Akechi hummed, looking straight into Akira. “Yes?” 

The Omega smirked. “Do you want to see me with earrings?” 

The detective looked stunned, a second later, his blush spread all the way down to his neck, and the subway door closed. Akira was left laughing, watching the flustered Akechi in the train as it moved forward. 

Maybe he’s really in deep, but the feeling was good. 

* * *

Futaba really was unbothered by the short time she had after waking up from unconsciousness. She straight up worked on her computer after getting off bed, and Akira was left staring in the bedroom, waiting. It was getting awkward as time passed and he’s left with no more skin to scratch on, so he started cleaning Futaba’s room. Morgana helped by smelling and pointing out the trash in hidden places. 

By the time he was done, Futaba just finished, and she looked pleasantly surprised by the clean air in her room. Akira was contemplating on sliding open the curtain but he’s afraid of burning the orange gremlin. Excessive sunlight might burn her quite literally. 

The day of deadline came and the Phantom Thieves were declared victorious as Alibaba’s distorted face showed up in Shibuya crossing, alerting everyone about their success of hacking into Medjed’s digital headquarters and spammed Phantom Thieves’ slogan everywhere. 

Their fanbase grew. The Phan-site were booming with requests of changing hearts; too many requests that Mishima got his hands full by just organizing comments section on the website. The stores released merchs, calling card replicas, keychain, etc. 

It felt good, but at the same time, something gnawed at the back of Akira’s mind. 

Is it still phantom if people recognizes your existence? 

He was left pondering for days as their rating continue to hike into the most popular trend ever set in Shibuya. They all went to school like usual the next day, feigning surprise when their school talked about the Phantom Thieves’ actions that changed a lot of people’s lives. 

A contrasting situation happened to his crush, however. Akechi received some strong backlash and criticism from the public because he stood with his argument that the Phantom Thieves were doing illegal activities by changing hearts of people without their permission. 

Well if they asked for permission to change hearts, they won’t be called _Thieves_. That’s the same as burglars calling a bank to ask if they can rob it. 

Akechi begin to frequent Leblanc a lot more often, causing disturbance in the air as Leblanc was now the Phantom Thieves hideout. To be fair, he’s just there to get some coffee and destress. Akira felt sorry for the guy, but at the same time, he needed to protect his friends too. So he resorted to getting closer to Akechi to distract him from any shady Phantom Thieves business going on in the attic. 

Morgana said Akira was just taking advantage of the situation to get to know his crush, and told him to not think with his genital. Akira rephrased, as the words from Morgana was deemed unsuitable for younger readers. 

At this point, Akira felt everything was perfect, other than his business with Akechi. The Phantom Thieves kept being in the shadows with no suspicions on them, his scores were top of the school, his social links with people ranking up steadily. He knew the pleasant feeling won’t last – irony tends to knock him out cold soon, he just knows it – so he’s savouring every moment he has in peace. 

Akechi looked downtrodden as he sat on the chair, eyebags sagging on his face. He was in a rather pathetic state, with the hunched pose, as if the detective jacket weighed the world on his shoulders. 

And he’s also thinner than before. 

Akira decided it’s time he step in and feed the boy properly. Akechi looked like he could use somebody to lean on. Isn’t Akira supposed to be the _submissive_ one in a relationship? Now he’s doing all the work and probably the one wearing the pants in the future, in case he ever got a partner. Sheesh. 

“Thanks a lot, Kurusu-kun,” said Akechi as he spooned another mouthful of curry and rice. “This place is the only one where I can drop my mask and be…me.” 

Akira sat himself beside Akechi; it’s a habit by now. The detective had a certain magnet that attracted him. “I’m glad you can relax here.” 

The detective munched the food slowly. His mind spacing out as his mouth moved automatically, chowing down the food that might as well taste fully wasabi, because he can’t feel anything. It tore his heart to see Akechi like this. 

“Hey, I know summer vacation is almost over but, do you have any plans this weekend?” asked him out of the blue. 

Akechi widened his eyes, mouth stopped chewing entirely. He looked away to gulp down and turned back to Akira, who was anticipating his answer. 

“N-nothing in particular,” said him, slightly hesitant. “Why, if I may ask?” 

Akira shrugged. “Maybe we could do something together, you know? Hangout at your place or play video games?” He rested his arms on the counter, his right hand played absent-mindedly with the bracelet Ann gifted him. 

“Why?” 

“Why what?” 

Akechi sighed. “Why are you acting like you’re close to me, like a friend?” 

Okay, that kind of hurt a little, but Akira can do this. “Am I not your friend?” Akira asked with the perfect pout, slight head tilt to the left, sad eyes, and blink a few times. 

Akechi looked dumbfounded. A hint of blush dusting on his cheeks. “We…are friends?” 

A dejected sigh escaped his lips. “You don’t have a lot of friends, do you?” 

A shake of his head was all Akira needed. This poor boy, he will protect at all costs from any harm in the world. He shall introduce him to world peace, happiness and all the curries and pancakes in the world. 

Akira gave a small chuckle. “We talk everytime you visit Leblanc. You waited for me to come back from school before you leave. Yes, I know you did that on purpose, don’t look so surprised. I know your favourite blend. I know how you prefer your pancakes; overflowing with syrup, and whipped cream is a bonus. Kinda says a lot about you, to be honest.” 

The detective delivered a disapproving look to Akira, who was smiling from ear to ear. 

“So tell me, what do you know about me, _Mr. Detective?_ ” 

He saw the boy inhaled sharply, most probably from the nickname, or it could be from Akira’s half-lid eyes. The raven loved to skirt around in his flirtations with Akechi. It just leaves the man wanting more. 

Akechi formed his famous thinking pose. “You love your coffee black and fresh from the pot. You also take your curry spicy. You’re often seen wearing black clothes. You’re here on probation because of false accusation…” The curry was set aside as he continued to ponder around the information he had. His scent turned chilling, like mint, as he focused. “I’m not done yet. The coffee means you see people in their natural colors and most of the time you enjoyed them as they are. The spicy curry can mean you love challenges. The black signifies you want to hide in the background but at the same time, stand out in the shadows, and possibly the loudest in action. Considering you’re here after angering a powerful man, enough to push false crime on you, I’d say my deductions are spot on.” 

The raven blinked. He gave the detective a level stare, while the recipient formed a grin. 

“Am I correct?” 

Akira gulped. How can he forget this guy was named Ace Detective for a reason. Shit, he’s so charming when he’s showing off his intelligence. “…Yes…” 

Akechi let out a raspy laugh at his victory. “I could go on but I think I’ve made my point.” 

The way the laugh bounced in his head can’t be good. He’s going to dream of this voice for months. He hummed in approval, removing his gaze from Akechi. “Well, what’s the verdict on this weekend?” 

The detective drummed the counter with his fingers. “It’s going to be a little tight but I can make it work.” He met Akira’s gaze with a smile. “We can read some books together,” suggested him. 

“ _Books?!_ ” exclaimed Akira. “No. Nothing so boring. You need at least one rom-com at your TV to make it an engaging activity.” 

Akechi seemed perplexed, flailing around trying to find a good idea. “I-I don’t know any trending rom-com nowadays.” 

Akira thought at least a minute passed with him speechless, just blinking at Akechi. “Akechi, _darling_ , leave the rom-com recommendation to me. All you need to do is make sure you have a functioning Netflix and internet. Can you do that for me?” 

The detective nodded with vigor. 

“Good boy.” Akira pat his head. “Now finish your curry.” 

They heard a muffled thud behind them and a Morgana appeared at his left. He went straight to his food at the plate on the floor, glancing once at Akechi and mumbled, “these two should just out with it already…” 

* * *

Weekend seemed to drift painfully slow towards Akira. He was planning a lot for the hangout. He cancelled all his plans for the day just to spend time with Akechi. He’s a man on a mission. 

In his bag contained a list of agenda for today, some snacks, no Morgana, soda, chessboard in case the power decided to run out mid-storm (yes he has a lot of plans in case Netflix and chill didn’t go smoothly), and a surprise for Akechi. 

Did he mention he loves teasing the guy? 

Akira rang the doorbell, smiling, technically jumping up and down, giddy to spend time with his crush. The door opened and Akechi froze upon seeing him. 

The raven hid his smirk as he witnessed the brunette turned as red as a tomato. He tilted his head, smiling mischievously, 

his earrings briskly chirped at the movement. 

“Morning, Akechi! <3”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love teasing Akechi. Come on.


	7. Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks went by without Akechi dropping by Leblanc and Akira is going crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this? Another chapter? This fast?  
> It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Also it's 4 AM and my brain said no to sleep.

Akira was sure that he planned everything smoothly, both Phantom Thieves’ business and his flirtation techniques. Apparently, the evidence didn’t show promising result. 

Akechi Goro had been avoiding him for weeks, ever since their last meeting at Akechi’s house. Even though they had spent time together, bonding over video games – which he found out Akechi has an array of rainbow language – and Akira cooked dinner for them both. Yes, despite all that, _they were still on last name basis._

It didn’t occur to Akira that the change may be necessary to get closer, hence he forget about it. Until Akechi stopped visiting Leblanc. It’s almost a month since school started, so the detective was probably busy with work and school, but he managed to drop by Leblanc before summer started, so why stop? It made Akira thought he must’ve somehow made a mistake during his visit. 

He missed the sight of Akechi sitting at his usual spot, sipping coffee peacefully but later scrambled to get his stuff as soon as he saw Akira. It always brought a smile to the raven. 

At school, Akira zoned out often, thinking of what might had befallen his crush. It drew worry from Morgana, and the student sitting behind him; all because he didn’t dodge the onslaught of flying chalk from that old teacher. It left him with a red bump under his bangs. For the unnamed student to see his change, Akira must’ve been too obvious. 

“Are you sure you want to go back alone? Ann is more than ready to accompany you,” voiced Morgana underneath the desk. Akira’s scent stink of desperation and loneliness, it’s driving him crazy. 

“I’ll be fine. I’m not a kid.” Akira scoffed lightly at the not-cat. 

“Just make sure to spray that air freshener in case Alphas are crowding around you, okay?” 

The boy nodded. 

“Come back before dinner.” 

He nodded again. 

“Don’t talk with strangers.” 

“Morgana.” Akira gave a level stare at Morgana, that later turned soft. “I’ll be fine. I promise.” 

When the school bell rang, Akira tidied up his desk, zipped up his bag, and zoomed out of the classroom without any exchange of words. Ann was left baffled by the cold treatment but Morgana’s presence behind her baffled her more. 

“He left you behind?!” 

Morgana sat on Akira’s desk. His tail swayed mellow, worrying over their leader. “He needs some time, he says.” 

Ann turned around to face Morgana properly. “Time? What do you mean?” 

“He’s…” the feline paused. “Akechi hasn’t been visiting Leblanc like he used to and Akira’s not sure why.” 

The girl tapped a finger on her chin. “So if I get this right, Akira’s missing him?” 

Upon that statement, Morgana’s eyes went wide. “Miss him? What in the world? Why would he?” 

“Well.” Ann giggled. “It sure sounds like someone has a huge crush over the detective.” 

With a groan, Morgana stood up. His ears pointed slightly backwards, annoyed. “I told him not to get too close to Akechi. He’s shady as heck, but Akira doesn’t listen.” 

Ann agreed with a hmm. “You are right. It’s not good to associate ourselves with him.” She pulled up her bag and lifted Morgana, shoving him into her school bag. “But heart isn’t something you can manipulate easily, Morgana. Especially it’s Akira we’re talking about. You can tell him that he can’t go near the sun and the next thing you know, he’s playing chicken with it.” 

The groan from Morgana sounded muffled this time. “Why can’t we change Akira’s heart to forget his crush to Akechi?” 

A soft chuckle came from Ann. “You yourself said that is forbidden.” 

“True…” The cat was becoming more silent as Ann walked to the station, heading towards Leblanc. 

“Do you know where Akira went?” 

Morgana answered with a soft purring noise. 

“I guess he didn’t tell you.” Ann settled with that. 

By the time she boarded the train, Morgana was tumbling around in her bag, asleep. From the twitch of his whiskers, she can see how Morgana’s still thinking about Akira in his dream. They were very close after all, like brothers, except different mom and dad and species. She closed her bag carefully, not to wake him up. 

“We’ll do something about it, Morgana. Don’t worry.” 

The twitching died down and Morgana’s back in deep sleep. 

* * *

His legs followed the flow of people in the train. His mind was totally blank. By the time Akira snapped out of his daze, he’s already in red-light district. 

Akira started to panic. If he was caught by police officers here, still in his uniform, it’d bring bad luck to everyone involved. He unzipped the bag underneath his armpit harshly, trying to find his find his precious scent blocker and refresh spray. In between the rumbling noise of his items, Akira heard a voice calling him. He looked up. 

“Are you having troubles, boy?” asked the stranger. 

Akira shook his head with a smile, stating that he’s okay, even denying his help, but it seemed that the person was insistent on helping. 

“My apologies. Your scent was running wild so I thought something must be scaring you.” 

_Fuck, he’s an Alpha._

“I-I really don’t need any help…” Akira backed up step by step, his hands greedily rummaging through his items for the spray and scent blocker. Shit! Morgana used to pull stuff up for him. He’s been so dependent on the cat to organize his own bag and he suffered from the consequences. But why now? 

Suddenly, another man joined. “Hey! Are you harassing this boy?” The voice was so loud, his shoulders jumped. His scent must’ve sent a signal that he’s in danger. 

“No sir, I was just asking if he’s okay.” 

“I see. Boy, do you need a ride home? I can drive.” 

Soon after, there’s four Alphas surrounding him, trying to help Akira because his scent was in the air and blown by the wind. His face turned a shade paler. His hand hugged the bag on his chest. He can’t get away. The buffed Alphas were grown-ups and pushing their helping hand on his face, which he didn’t ask for. 

He deliberately stepped away until his back hit a wall. He gasped, realizing he can’t run away with them crowding his escape routes. The overwhelming, intense and almost heady Alpha smell was around him; it made his stomach churn. It reminded him of the night he saved the woman. His hand covered his nose, trying not to panic even more. It will only get worse if he did. 

Before he could think, a gloved hand grabbed Akira and whisked him away from the small gathering of Alphas. Akira couldn’t register what was going on. His legs were too weak to resist, hence, he ran with the unknown man with gloves. 

His hair was brown like Akechi’s. His coat too. That’s weird. Akechi also wears gloves. 

When they had safely escaped two blocks away from the area, the man stopped and turned around. Oh, he IS Akechi. Why does he look so mad? 

“What do you think you’re doing there?!” 

Akira was still caught in a daze. His mind slowly picking up on what happened. “I don’t know…” 

“You _don’t know? _” Akechi scoffed, turning around with his hands grabbing a fistful of hair. He groaned in frustration. “Akira, you could’ve been taken away any seconds there. Even more so when you’re running around without scent blockers!”__

__Speaking of scent blockers._ _

__Akira started searching his bag again, but to no avail. His bag was in worse condition than before. But hey, he found the refresh spray. It neutralizes the air around him so it won’t smell of anything, but it only works temporarily._ _

__The boy grabbed the spray but upon holding it out, the bottle fell to the ground. That’s when he realized his hands were shivering._ _

__He knelt down to fetch the bottle again, this time with two hands. Before he could aim the nozzle, Akechi’s hand was on his, stopping his actions._ _

__Akira let his breath evened out before it finally registered in his mind; his body was still shaking from the previous encounter. He was so close to being kidnapped and sold away. Most of kidnap victims around Shibuya are Omega. Law enforcements tried to prevent these crimes from happening but mafia ties are strong in the city. The men must be Alphan mafia._ _

__He was pulled into a hug by the detective. The gloved hand rubbed his back as Akechi tried to soothe him. Akechi was only centimeters taller than him, so why does he look like he’s towering above Akira? Akira moved his hand away from in between their torso, only to be hugged closer. Since when did his bag end up on the floor?_ _

__“Where were you?” With his shocked state, Akira can’t do anything but whisper._ _

__Akechi exhaled softly. “I’m…here?”_ _

__“You haven’t been visiting Leblanc.”_ _

__Akechi gave space for them to see each other, and he formed a frown. “Is that why you’re in the red-light district?”_ _

__He shook his head. “I wasn’t thinking.”_ _

__A sigh came from the brunette. “Don’t scare me like that again.”_ _

__Akechi’s reply flew right over his head. “How about you don’t stop coming to Leblanc?”_ _

__A pair of dark crimson eyes stared at him. “…You don’t know what you’re asking for, Kurusu-kun.”_ _

__“It’s Akira.”_ _

__It was as if he can _see _Akechi stiffened.___ _

___“Just Akira. Please.”_ _ _

___Akira can feel Akechi’s breath on his face. He wasn’t sure what he should do at the moment, so he prepared himself for a kiss._ _ _

___But Akechi went down to his neck. His warm lips teasing lines of wet kisses under his jaw. His nose greedily smelling his scent fresh from the source._ _ _

___It almost sent him to euphoria, with the way Akechi’s body protectively wrapping him in a warm embrace, away from other people. His scent going wild just for his chosen Alpha. Akira was just about to close his eyes when he felt traces of sharp teeth on his pulse._ _ _

___He jerked himself backwards and stopped the bite with his fingers. Akechi, meanwhile, looked puzzled with how he ended up with dainty fingers in between his teeth. He pulled back, took a deep breath, and his brain became less doozy._ _ _

___“I’m sorry, Kurusu-kun. Your scent must be the reason I got like that...” He swiped his face once with a free hand._ _ _

___“I told you to use Akira.”_ _ _

___“Kurusu-kun…”_ _ _

___“ _Akira_.” _ _ _

__Akechi huffed in annoyance. Akira wasn’t backing down this time. He’s not going to let Akechi run away anymore. “Fine,” said him. “Akira.”_ _

__Akira smiled, reveling in his victory. “Can I call you Goro in return?” He looked down on his fingers. The bite tore his skin slightly but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He waved it off, letting the cool air dried the blood down._ _

__“No, please don’t.”_ _

__Akira almost ‘tch’ed at that answer. Akechi’s running away again. What made him so withdrawn, he wondered. “Can I ask why?”_ _

__Akechi took notice of the injury on his fingers so he took a closer look. “…It reminds me of my mother.” He muttered too softly, Akira barely caught it. The boy looked up and searched for Akechi’s eyes._ _

__“I’m sorry,” breathed him, while Akechi was busy inspecting his fingers. “I’ll stick with Akechi then.”_ _

__After making sure the injury won’t fester, Akechi let go of the hand and looked back to Akira. “…Although, I wouldn’t oppose to trying to change that.”_ _

__Akira raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”_ _

__“You can call me Goro… _Akira_.” He rubbed his neck, sheepish. _ _

__At the permission, Akira formed the biggest grin he could make. “Thanks!”_ _

* * *

____

Back at Leblanc… 

____

“I’ll drop you off here. I have a lot of work to do,” said the detective as he stood next to Leblanc’s door. 

____

“You’re not going to get at least one cup of coffee?” 

____

He shook his head. His lopsided smile seemed tired. “If I sat down, I don’t think I ever want to leave.” 

____

He didn’t know Akira would very much prefer that than him missing for weeks. “Alright. Take care then.” Akira opened the door and gave him one last peek, with a cunning smile on his face. “See you later Goro-chan!” 

____

The twitch at Akechi’s eye became an inside joke between them for months.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Morgana** : He's smiling like an idiot for a week. I hate seeing him like this. Go back to being depressed, will ya?


	8. Something Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to keep track of puppy love and real life matters at the same time, and Akira was trying not to slip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very late update. I've been busy with giving Akechi abs on Tumblr. Apparently people love that shit o.O

Sojiro took another glance at Akira from behind the counter. The lack of customer during rainy days offered them some moments of respite, hence Akira took the chance to study as much as he can while working. The sound of music lulled Akira as he followed the tune from the TV. His hand speedily solved another calculus question easily, now moving on to the next. 

The TV now viewed a talk show between two famous hosts in Japan, and their guest this time was Akechi Goro. Upon hearing his voice, Akira’s eyes immediately glued to the screen, his homework laid forgotten on the table. A hand supported his chin as he stared at his crush – excuse him, reciprocated crush – with hearts in his eyes. His heart beat slowly, steadily, making a music he learnt to love. 

“Boy, how deep in love are you?” voiced Sojiro from behind the newspaper he’s reading. “It’s as if I can see hearts floating around you.” The old man quirked a smile after that. Akira soon followed suit; smiling happily while watching Goro on the TV, trying to appear composed at the harsh questions thrown at his direction. 

It didn’t go unnoticed by Akira. The questions were asked with the intention of cornering Goro into submission; cruel push of preaching about the Phantom Thieves into his brain. As much as he wished Goro would side with him, he never wished to change his view by this method. This wasn’t entertainment. It’s _public humiliation_. 

Thank God he wasn’t there, else he would find a way to whisk Goro away. 

A ping was heard in his pocket. He looked at the preview. It’s a message in Phantom Thieves group. 

**Futaba** : it hurts to see him getting cornered like that 

**Makoto** : What do you mean? 

**Futaba** : turn on tv 

**Akira** : I want to do something 

**Akira** : futaba pls 

**Makoto** : I’m watching it right now 

**Makoto** : Whatever you’re planning right now, don’t 

**Akira** : I know you guys hate him for not siding with us on tv 

**Akira** : but this is no way to make him admit he’s wrong 

**Futaba** : woah look at him defending his boyfriend 

**Akira** : he’s not my boyfriend 

**Akira** : yet 

**Makoto** : I thought Ryuji hates Akechi 

**Akira** : Ryuji just has something called “bullshit detector” 

**Futaba** : he can smell shady stuff like a dog 

**Akira** : futaba can you do something for me? 

**Futaba** : DM me the task, leader o7 

Without wasting anymore time, he opened a private message to Futaba. 

**Akira** : Can you hack into the main power in the studio and turn off electricity by demand? 

It was as if Akira can see Futaba’s grin from the other side of the screen. He started to rethink whether this was the best way to help Goro. 

* * *

That night, Akira spent his time trying to find Morgana. The cat has been missing a lot more often lately. He’s not worried per se. Morgana can take care of himself well. But the fact that Morgana always go out without telling him where he went, and came back silent and depressed, it rang alarms in his head. 

Akira might be a shitty brother, but he’d be damned if he let Morgana stew in his grief. The cat has always been with him since he first knew of Metaverse. A life without Morgana would be unthinkable. 

While he was searching around Yongen-Jaya, mostly around sushi places where the owner loves to feed cats, his phone beeped. He’s trying to ignore it because Morgana was more important, but the constant beeping meant the message just kept coming. 

He straightened his back, clicking his tongue and looked at his phone. 

Oh, it’s Goro. 

He opened the flurry of messages sent by the detective with a fond smile. 

**Goro** : Akira. 

**Goro** : Can I drop by Leblanc tonight? 

**Goro** : Akira? 

**Goro** : I don’t believe you are busy at this hour, moreover with the rain. 

**Goro** : I’m heading towards Leblanc, whether you like it or not. 

**Goro** : Welcome me. 

**Goro** : Akira! 

**Goro** : I expect to see you there. 

Akira covered his mouth at the bundle of text. Goro was clingier than he originally thought, but he wasn’t complaining. A friendly Goro kept exceeding his expectations, and it made his life in Shibuya more entertaining. 

It was as if Morgana’s warning about Goro was a lifetime ago. 

Was that why Morgana often disappeared? Was he sulking? 

Akira’s mind went back to his missing cat-kin. Goro was heading to Leblanc from downtown, thus it meant he has another fifteen minutes before he had to go back. He shot a quick text to Goro as a reply and quickly resumed his search. 

**Akira** : I’m waiting :) 

* * *

Thankfully, Akira found Morgana hanging around the food stall next to the train station, enjoying the leftovers given by the oden hawker. He gave the kind-hearted man a lengthy thanks and grateful bow, carefully lifting the full Morgana in his arms. The cat burped in his hold and Akira gave him a look. 

“What?” said Morgana, drunk with food. “The fish was good.” 

As soon as he reached Leblanc, he put Morgana on the floor and the creature headed towards upstairs without sparing a glance to Goro on the counter. 

“You said you’d be here.” Goro looked at him from the corner of his eyes, trying hard to appear annoyed and sulking. 

“I’m here now?” 

The detective ignored him and sipped on his coffee, letting Akira standing at the door, figuring out what he should be apologizing for. The boy stepped towards Goro, an amused smile on his lips. 

“Okay, I’m sorry. Morgana was out there for too long, I had to go look for him.” 

Goro put the cup back on its saucer. “You don’t have to explain. It’s not like I’m annoyed or anything.” 

Akira bent forward to look closer at his face behind the bangs. “I don’t know. Your face tells me you are.” 

Apparently, that managed to crack a smile on Goro’s expression. It filled Akira with warmth to see him happy like this. He washed his hands, put on an apron and walked closer to Sojiro to receive more coffee-making lessons. 

“Fortunately, we have another coffee enthusiast here to drink all your failed coffee attempts,” said Sojiro with a straight face. 

“Please have some faith in your student, Boss.” Akira gave an exasperated sigh. 

“Your coffee will never be as good as Boss’,” interjected Goro at the side. Akira narrowed his eyes at the detective sipping coffee with a smile. His assholery was resurfacing. 

Don’t worry. He’d make him eat back his words. 

Ten minutes later, a steaming pot of coffee is served, enough to feed one person. Akira dedicated the whole content to Goro’s cup and slid it towards him. From behind his bangs, Goro narrowed his eyes at Akira. 

“What?” asked the raven. 

Goro continued to give him a level stare. “I’m starting to rethink my decision of coming here.” 

Akira pouted. “You don’t want a coffee made by me?” 

“N-not that…” The detective sighed. Slight blush appeared on his cheeks, entranced by the little gestures by Akira. His gloved hand went to pick the cup, sniffing the scent first and foremost, and looked back at the smiling Akira from the corner of his eyes. 

The Omega was planning something and he’s not sure if he’s going to like it. 

Pristine lips touched the hot coffee and as soon as the first gulp passed by, Goro pulled the cup away from his mouth, taking a moment to take a deep breath. 

_Bitter_. 

_Raw_. 

_Simply **awful**_. 

If this was a comic, he’d grip the cup handle hard enough to shatter it to pieces by now. Goro was sure he’s turned at least one shade paler. He cleared his throat and glanced at Akira, who was already hunched and shaking, hiding his laughter. 

_This son of a bitch did it on purpose._

Sojiro slid out of the bathroom to see Akira laughing and crying at the same time, while Goro unmoving in his seat, a steaming cup of coffee on his hand. “Brat, did you kill him with your experiments?” 

Akira laughed harder. Goro finally composed himself enough to put the cup back on its saucer. He exhaled loudly, hopefully the bitterness passed soon. Judging from the way it hooked itself on his tongue, it probably won’t. Goro made a mental note not to diss Akira before he makes his coffee. 

“Don’t worry, Boss, I’m simply – ah—digesting the new flavor on my tongue. It was quite an experience,” said him with a smile. 

“Oh? Feel free to come back for more coffee experience, sweetie. I got plenty for you to try!” joked Akira. 

At the side, Sojiro snickered. Maybe he was reminded of the time when he was just a coffee newbie. Who knows. 

“While I appreciate the free coffees—“ 

“— _Wonderful_ free coffees.” 

“…Not so wonderful, sometimes, my dear. You would kill me someday. I’m pretty sure you could hide my dead body in the pitch darkness of that brew.” 

Another laughter rang from Akira. “I don’t fancy the idea of killing people with new mix. I’ll spare you for the next week. Normal coffee if you drop by with a smile.” 

The detective tilted his head in confusion. “I always smile.” 

“Not that smile.” Akira pointed at the TV. “I want the smile you make when we mention pancakes. The one where your eyes light up, wide. Basically, true smile.” 

Goro looked at Akira, long and silent, enough to make the other restless and grew a few shade of red on his cheeks. “What…?” 

The detective shook his head with a soft smile. “Very few people succeed in detecting my fake and real smiles.” He breathed a low chuckle, content with Akira’s calming presence, and brought the cup to his mouth out of habit. 

He almost spat out the drink soon after, and Akira almost died laughing again. “How can you fall for the same trick _twice_?!” 

The raven sat hunched on the floor, wheezing. Goro groaned, hiding his face behind one hand. 

“Alright, Akira, give him the real coffee.” Sojiro reached for his newspaper and sat himself in one of the booths. “If he kept drinking that coffee, he will need new kidneys soon.” 

“Okay, Boss,” answered Akira after he’s calmed down from his laughter. He took the cup in front of Goro, donned the content and washed it while heating up the home brew of the day. He went to the back and disappeared for almost five minutes before returning to the front, poured a hot cup of coffee to the Alpha and went back to retrieve… 

…A plate of beautiful fluffy golden pancakes topped with a slice of butter. 

Goro basically perked up at the sight. It’s uncanny to see pancakes being made in a house of curry. Akira must’ve secretly sneaked the ingredients in when Sojiro wasn’t looking. 

The plate was put in front of him, and a bottle of syrup was placed next to it. “Since I don’t know how much you consume syrup, I thought might as well give you the privilege to pour it yourself.” Akira leaned forward, closing the distance between him and Goro across the counter. “Sorry for the coffee. Thought I’d make you regret for underestimating me.” He winked. 

The detective can feel his heart about to jump out of his chest, hence he looked away, muttering a small thank you, trying to control his Alpha scent from spreading like wildfire in the café. He took a small bite of the pancake and Goro almost cried of happiness. 

It’s fluffy, the Japanese pancake that uses beaten egg white folded in the mixture, with a balance in sweet and salty, complemented with the syrup Akira gave him. Everything was perfect, like the barista himself. 

“Ugghh…” Goro let out a low groan at the incredible taste. He paused from eating the next bite out of fear of devouring everything in one go. Akira’s chuckle was heard. 

“Goro, I know you love pancakes but please keep your boner until you’re out of public places.” 

He lifted his head sharply, face turned red at the accusation. “I wasn’t!” 

Akira raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You checked your pants just now.” 

“I-I have to make sure…” 

The raven hid his snort behind his hand. He had stopped wiping the cups to give himself some room. “You’re not helping yourself with that reply,” said him in between laughs. 

Goro retreated back to his pancake, taking another bite with a red face. 

* * *

He tumbled around his bed for the nth time. For the love of God, let him sleep. It has been a tiring day, despite the lack of customers during rainy days, so all Akira wanted was sleep. 

And yet here he was, eyes wide open, fresh like a lemon squeeze in summer. 

He sat up, looking in the darkness to find Morgana curling on the sofa. The cat didn’t sleep next to him lately, and Akira wondered why. Was it because he moved around too much in his sleep? He did kick Morgana one time after a dream of the Reaper going after his ass in Mementos. He woke up with Morgana strangling his neck with white paws. 

All of a sudden, the cat jerked up with an “Aaah!” Akira gave a concerned look at him. He walked over to Morgana and sat down on the floor, next to the sofa. 

“Are you okay?” asked him soft. Morgana seemed shaken by his nightmare. 

The cat meowed, short and breathy. Akira didn’t like that tone. He stood up, picked Morgana and settled into his bed with Morgana in his arms. The cat wanted to fight from the looks of it, but the struggle was almost abysmal. 

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow, yea? Sleep with me in here. It’s safe. Everything’s going to be alright,” whispered the raven to the feline. He moved to stroke Morgana’s head a few times before settling his arms around the cat. A few minutes passed and Morgana’s back in his slumber, even breaths and soft purr. 

In the darkness, Akira prayed so Morgana would open up to him soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst will come where you would least expect it.


	9. Aloha Darkness My Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are happening! All at once! Akira is a mess!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm alive :')

Akira tamed his unruly hair with his fingers as he ran into the crowded subway. Even as the train moved, the people swaying in tandem with the movement, Akira was trying hard to comb his hair down. He has little choice in that matter; he’s running super late and he didn’t want the principal’s eyes to be on him. Fortunately, Ms. Kawakami had cut him some slack since he helped the poor woman move on from her ‘debt-collectors’. However, she won’t be able to do anything if he’s late to a class. 

The train shook to the right. Some men crushed Akira flat on the door and he couldn’t wish for a better morning. He’s still groggy from a surprise wake-up, only to find the attic utterly silent with Morgana nowhere to be found. It’s been happening a lot more lately. Akira was going to have a talk with that cat soon. 

As soon as he was beseated, the bell rang, signifying class hours starting. Akira took the time to even his breath, feeling slightly upset that his alarm clock wasn’t underneath his desk. It felt oddly empty. Usually, he’d be the one shoo-ing Morgana away to make space for his books. 

Where is Morgana? 

Recess time came and Akira whispered for Ann, but the girl was preoccupied with her phone. He called and called again, even threw a tiny ball of paper to her head but she didn’t even flinch, hence Akira resorted to tugging one of her twin tails. She winced and turned around, annoyed and stunned mixed into one. “What?” 

Akira leaned forward to whisper. “Morgana.” 

“What about him?” 

“It’s been a week,” continued him, “and he’s still wandering around unnoticed. I’m worried about him.” 

Ann jut her lips, thinking. “Have you tried asking Boss?” 

Akira answered with a shake of his head. “Morgana loves to use the window. Boss won’t be able to see him if he leaves or comes back.” 

The blonde readjusted her sitting position, turning slightly towards the back to face Akira properly. “Do you have any idea on where his favourite place is?” 

“No…” He shook his head again. Seriously, he calls Morgana as his familiar and he never really dove into Morgana’s history? What an embarrassment, Akira. 

A pat on his head dispersed Akira’s worry a bit. He looked at Ann’s extended arm. 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” said the Alpha girl. She radiated a comforting scent to calm Akira. Her hand resumed her petting and Akira let her. He could use some physical comfort from a friend. “Hey, have you planned anything for the Hawaii trip next week?” 

His eyes lit up. He almost forgot about it because of his heavy part-time schedule and worrying over Morgana, sometimes Goro too, because he’s a softie once he’s in love. “Not really. What do they have?” 

She retreated her hand to put on her chin. “Well, there’s the beach, and the hotel with swimming pool… But that’s all I know.” 

Akira hummed, already planning to swim until his skin crinkle and raw from sunburn. “We’ll see when we get there.” 

* * *

For one, Ann wasn’t wrong. There was beach, and by extension, the city and swimming pool, but other than that, it’s pretty mediocre. Akira stood there in his blue swimming trunks, waiting for Ryuji and Yusuke (somehow his trip to Los Angeles was rerouted to Hawaii, how convenient). Ann and Makoto decided to go on a temporary date near the ice-cream parlor she saw not too long ago. Akira’s pretty sure Makoto won’t eat much – or at all, to be honest – judging by her reluctance to eat during their beach trip not too long ago. All because she was afraid of her stomach pudging out of her swimsuit. 

How can Akira shout to all the girls that they are already beautiful as they are? 

Ryuji smacked him out of his thoughts and dragged him towards the beach, while commenting on picking up girls, even stating that the girls over here was _huge_. 

He didn’t know on what context that sentence would make any sense. 

Upon seeing Yusuke standing under a coconut tree, his fingers forming a frame at the scene in front of him, Akira formed a smile. The breeze felt absolutely nice today. Maybe one day-off as a Phantom Thief won’t hurt. 

* * *

Night came and Ann walked into Akira’s room with a frown. “My roommate locked me out,” stated her as she stomped her way towards the bed. 

“Well, knock,” told Ryuji from the balcony. 

“She said she got a fever earlier so she went to bed early.” Her pout increased in length. “I’m going to sleep in your room tonight, Akira.” 

“What?!” Three voices shouted in unison. 

Mishima poke his head out of the bathroom. He blushed upon seeing Ann on the bed. “A-a girl friend visiting your room and spend the night? Kurusu, is this a normal occurrence?” 

Akira rolled his eyes. “It’s only Ann, don’t worry.” 

“Yeah, it’s only me! No worries!” said her, cheerful. “Wait, how come you have three people in one room?” 

“Sakamoto’s not roomed with us,” replied Mishima, stepping out of the bathroom. 

“Well, then, what’s your reason for crowding this place, Ryuji?” asked the blonde, already making herself comfortable on the bed. 

It was Akira’s bed. 

Akira looked on the sofa, forlorn. Seems like he’d have to settle on a bumpy cushion for tonight. 

“My roommate is out with his girlfriend and I forgot to bring my keys.” Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. “I call dibs on the sofa.” 

_Shit. NO!_

“No, it’s mine,” retorted Akira defensively. 

“There’s no name on it. You can fight me on that.” 

Akira eyed Mishima’s bed next to his. “Although, the other bed isn’t entirely unavailable,” said him as he fixated his gaze on the untouched sheets. 

“Hey, hands off my bed.” Mishima moved to sit on his bed, flustered. He tried to appear intimidating and failed miserably. 

“We shall settle this with Rock Paper Scissors!” 

* * *

Akira turned once again in his sleep. Damn, what wouldn’t he give for a layer of cushion under his spine. He looked at Ryuji on the sofa and Mishima on his designated bed. 

Kawakami assigned this room to him, god freaking dammit, why is he sleeping on the floor?! 

He sighed in the darkness, loud enough for Ryuji and Ann to wake up from their slumber. He heard rustling from them both and before he knew it, two pairs of eyes were on his sleeping figure curled on the floor. 

“I don’t need your pity. Chime off,” muttered Akira with spite. A chuckle came from Ann, lying lazily on the bed with the blanket snaking up her body. 

“I can’t sleep.” She picked up a pillow and rested it under her bosom. “Let’s gossip a bit.” 

Ryuji groaned. “Ugh, girl talk, great…” 

A pillow flew above Akira towards Ryuji’s face. “Shut your trap, you freeloader,” said the blonde. 

You’re a freeloader too, my sweet Ann. 

“How about you tell me your favourite type of girl?” suggested the girl. Even if the room was dark, Akira can see the glint in her eyes. 

Ryuji had moved to lie on his side to join the gossiping agenda. “Huh… Never thought much of it. A kind-hearted girl, I guess?” 

“What about your second choice?” 

“Second choice?” Ryuji went silent for about 0.5 second to give it a thought. “Maybe a shy intelligent girl? Those kinds are cute.” 

“AHA!” 

Akira and Ryuji looked at Ann as if she had caught a culprit in a detective movie. 

“That’s your real taste, my boy. Usually the second choice reveals your true desire.” She chuckled. “What about you, Akira?” 

Now he knows how to play the game, he won’t get caught. “Uh, maybe a girl who can catch my sense of humor?” 

Ann nodded along his answer, humming with agreement. “Aaaand second choice?” 

The Omega tried to imagine his dream girlfriend but honestly, all he could think of was Akechi Goro. If sweating internally was a thing, he’s definitely doing it right now. “Intelligent brunette… with passion in their eyes?” 

The way Ann raised her eyebrow was like she figured out something and had just discovered the proof of her theory. Her smile was cunning. “I see, I see.” 

“What the—“ interrupted Ryuji. “That’s oddly specific, dude. Do you have a crush or something?” 

Is he really that obvious? Thank God for the darkness, else his friends would see his face turning red from the conversation. 

“Those descriptions sound like someone I know,” weaved in Mishima. 

The other three jumped in horror. 

“Oh my God, MISHIMA, I thought you were asleep!” 

“I was.” 

“So how much did you hear?” 

“Enough to know more about you guys.” 

Well, there went a peaceful night. It turned into a slumber party minus the pillow fight and nail polish. Before he could register what was happening, He was sitting at the feet of his bed with Ann brushing his hair. Mishima sat with a pillow in his hands, enjoying the small chat with Ryuji. 

“By the way, Kurusu.” Mishima turned towards him. “The type of girl you like…” 

Uh oh. 

“Is it…” 

He can hear his heart pounding. 

“…Makoto Nijima?” 

….. 

Akira had to pause for a minute before his brain could start forming sentences again. With frown on his face, he replied, “was that really what you concluded from the conversation?” 

“I mean.” Mishima straightened himself up on the bed. “Who else is clever and has brown hair?” 

“It doesn’t have to be in our school,” interjected Ann. Her fingers still playing with Akira’s hair. 

“Hey, who was that girl again, from Kosei? Mufumi?” asked Ryuji. 

“Hifumi,” corrected Akira. 

“Yea, yea, that girl. She’s intelligent and has brown hair!” 

Now that he thought about it, she does. 

“He’s thinking about it, that means she’s not the one in his mind,” answered Ann. Seriously, does this girl know about his crush or something? 

“What, do you know who he has in mind?” mocked Ryuji, his mouth forming a pout. 

“As a matter of fact, I do.” 

Akira stiffened. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell them, Akira.” The fingers brushed on his scalp once again to soothe him down. He must’ve projected a lot of nervous scent for Ann to be alarmed. Akira took a deep breath and exhaled softly. 

They continued to chat about girls until the clock struck three, when Ann and Mishima started snoring on the bed. Ryuji then decided that it was time to get some sleep before Kawakami pesters them the next morning. He and Akira later fell asleep as well. 

* * *

**Akira** : sunset.jpeg 

**Akira** : Isn’t it lovely? 

**Akira** : Yeah, we can see sunset anywhere, shut up 

**Akira** : I’ll share more pictures with you after this 

**Akira** : Hope you reply soon 

**Akira** : Or whenever you see this, I guess 

**Akira** : Take care, Goro 

* * *

Days went by and the trip ended with no news from Goro. Akira pushed the disappointment to the back of his head, distracting himself with his friends and activities. 

Goro disappeared again. He said he’d keep in contact with Akira. 

_Liar_. 

Akira wore the flower necklace around his neck and entered Leblanc, to see Sojiro and Futaba waiting for him. 

“How was the trip?” 

Akira stuck out his thumb and pinky finger. “Aloha.” He faked a smile. 

“Ah, he’s influenced.” Futaba sweatdropped. The raven let out a chuckle and went upstairs to put down his bag. He jogged downstairs to eat dinner with his family. “Any updates on Morgana?” asked him as soon as he was beseated in the booth next to Futaba. The girl nodded, somehow her face fell upset. 

“He’s been spending time next to this river, spacing out and just…sit there for hours.” She spooned a mouthful of curry and shoved it into her mouth. 

Akira stirred the coffee in his cup. His eyes locked on the swirling black drink. Those symptoms are equivalent to a depression for a cat, staying away from their owner to an isolated place. Also, he never heard of a river around here. There must be a hidden path somewhere that he hadn’t discovered yet. Freaking cat with his cat sneaking abilities. 

“That said, your uncle dropped by again yesterday, Futaba,” said Sojiro with a sigh. “Lately he’s been dropping by a lot just to piss me off.” 

Akira looked up and saw Sojiro frowning. He felt bad that he kept spending time with his friends instead of his guardian nowadays. Akira made a mental note to hangout with Sojiro more, and simultaneously complete his coffee lesson in order to troll Goro in the future. 

Oh, right. 

“Has Goro come by Leblanc when I was away?” 

A scoff came from Sojiro. “You’re not away that long, boy. But yeah he did.” 

Akira stopped his action. He felt a rise of annoyance in him. 

“He was avoiding you, from the looks of it. What happened?” 

Futaba eyed him from behind her bangs. She kept munching her food as she questioned Akira. “Are you guys fighting?” 

Akira shook his head. 

“He must be hiding something.” 

He rubbed his face once and sighed into his palms. He shouldn’t think of Goro for now, he has Morgana to worry about. Goro has a life of his own and he shouldn’t pester him. 

A soft thud was heard behind him. Akira glanced; a swish of black and white tail caught his sight. He put down his cup of coffee and chased after Morgana heading upstairs. 

“Alright, you and I need to talk, mister,” said him as soon as they were alone in the attic. The cat ignored him and kept walking towards the bed. Akira exhaled sharply, getting increasingly pissed off at Morgana. He picked him up – the cat yowled angrily, even clawing his skin – and carried him towards the desk. He put Morgana on the table, sat down so he could talk with him face to face. The sting on his hands throbbed. Morgana never resorted to clawing until there’s blood. Something wasn’t right. 

“You are not escaping this time. Talk to me.” He focused his eyes on the small furry body on the table. Morgana avoided his gaze, keeping his stubborn silence. “Morgana, what is it? I know you have nightmares recently. I can’t help you until you talk to me,” said him, softer this time, and hoping Morgana would be swayed by it. 

The tail swished left and right, restless and uncomfortable with Akira’s stare on him. “The nightmares have nothing to do with you.” 

“For starters, that’s good.” He surely don’t appreciate being a villain in his friend’s dream. “Secondly, you didn’t answer my question.” 

“There was a question?” 

“Morgana. You know what I want. What is the nightmare about?” 

The cat spared him a glance and looked away once again, for some reason he’s the one getting angry at Akira? What the heck? “I told you it’s none of your damn business.” 

The raven let out a breath. “Let’s try this again. You can’t expect me to stand around doing nothing when my friend is depressed.” 

“You can’t save everyone.” 

“I want to, at least, save my friends and family, people who matters to me the most.” 

“If I matter to you,” the cat looked at him, “then you would take my advice.” 

“Which advice?” 

“Stay. Away. From. Akechi.” 

This again. “Look, Morgana, Goro is fine. He’s a teenager just like the rest of us.” 

“He has blood scent, Akira. **Blood!** ” 

“I just thought he’s born with it,” replied him. “I tried to smell something else from him. There’s none. And have you ever talked with him, Morgana, and get to know him?” 

“No, I don’t need to because he’s shady as fuck.” 

“And yet you’re here judging him.” 

Morgana huffed, rolling his eyes. “See what I mean? You don’t listen.” 

“Because you’re basing your suspicions on purely instinct! I don’t buy it.” 

“You’re an Omega, Akira, for God’s sake. Instinct is in your blood!” 

Akira eyed the stairs, hoping his argument with Morgana didn’t get eavesdropped by Futaba. 

“Even if you say that, what makes you think he’s shady?” 

“He’s investigating the Phantom Thieves! And he approached you first because you are involved with all of the victims of past criminals! You are a suspect to him, Akira. No more!” 

“Alright,” interrupted Akira, standing up. “Just because you’re cornered, doesn’t mean you can put the blame on me, and especially not on Goro. He has nothing to do with what we’re talking about.” 

“Defending him now, aren’t you?” Morgana followed him in standing up. 

“You’re both my friends, Morgana. I’m not defending anybody!” 

“I should’ve known that you’d go for him. Never thought our leader would be so _stupid_.” 

“Morgana…” growled him under his breath. 

“I’m not wrong, aren’t I? You like that guy because he prioritizes you over his fans.” 

“Stop!” 

“You think you’re special to him? In the end, you’re just like his thirsty fangirls who want Akechi’s—“ 

“ _ **MORGANA!** _”__

__Heavy silence settled in between them. Akira’s ragged breath echoed in the room, anger showing from behind the glasses. The cat looked into the distance, seemingly giving up in talking altogether._ _

__He jumped on the windowsill, pushed the window open with his paws and hopped into the darkness, leaving Akira standing alone in the attic. The raven breathed in for a few minutes before he heard footsteps coming up. Futaba and Sojiro appeared at the stairs, worry spelled on their faces._ _

__“Are you okay, Akira?” asked Futaba in a meek voice._ _

__He shook his head. His hand grabbed his wallet and walked out of Leblanc in a rush. The attic was suffocating – the dust and fur were suffocating – and he needed to clear his head before he lashed out on the wrong people. He spent the night at Ryuji’s place, just because he knows Morgana hates Ryuji and would never be there even if somebody points a gun on his head. But now, the cat might hate him more than the blond._ _

__Akira couldn’t sleep for the better half of the night._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for updating this very slowly. I will try my best to convey the story I want to write Dx


	10. Passing the Baton (For a Little While)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Betas have to take the lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I didn't state before that Futaba is a Beta, but that doesn't really matter, right? She's OP still :P

The dishes clanked as he dipped his hands in the sink, cold water splashing on his apron by a smidge. He focused on the task at hand, trying to distract himself from the TV noise in the café area. Akira was desperate to busy himself with something – just anything – from thinking about his problems at the moment. 

In one of the booths, Sojiro sat with a newspaper in hand. It’d be a lie if he didn’t worry over the boy he took in. Akira has been gathering eyebags ever since the cat went missing. At least he wasn’t being tardy. One absence in his class and that boy would get in trouble. 

Sojiro sighed. Sometimes he wished he could help Akira but the boy refused to speak about his life most of the time; usually diverting the chat into something about coffee or his friends. It’s like he’s a piece of blank paper. He’s free to be the person they all expect him to be, but without anyone there, he’d just be an empty canvas. 

He’s got to admit he missed the cat. With the black cat around, Akira seems livelier. He has someone to argue with, although he still can’t figure out how, and share his secrets with. Without the cat, Akira is simply… 

A mannequin. 

“Hey,” called Sojiro. Akira lifted his face and turned off the water. His hands still covered with dishwasher foam. 

“Yes?” 

Sojiro cleared his throat. “Want to get some dinner with Futaba after this?” 

Akira blinked for a few seconds until Sojiro grew uncomfortable. Later, a soft smile spread on his face. “Yes… I’d love that.” 

The old man let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Akira might be troubled by some teenager things, but he knew the boy will open up when he needs to. For now, Sojiro didn’t see the need to push the subject. He might be a Beta but he’s still a father who wants to see his children be happy. 

“I’ll go tell Futaba then. See to the café while I’m gone. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” 

* * *

First off, infiltrating Okumura’s Palace felt wrong on so many level. It was because they were doing it in the name of fame; from the bulks of request in the Phan-site. Although Ryuji was eager to latch on to the Hero title they were granted with, Akira was deeply disturbed by it. He did make finding Morgana a priority to the Phantom Thieves -- the fame they have at the moment can wait -- but the coincidence was too suspicious to be ignored. 

They all have searched for all possible places Morgana might escape to, but to no avail. The only answer lies in Metaverse, and that’s too big to be explored. Hence they started with a Palace, a spot where Morgana might smell _treasure_. 

The rumor of Big Bang milking their workers to a point of death by overwork, for cheaper food products, were baffling to say the least. The company was more than capable to pay more, or treat the employees with the respect they deserve. Instead, they were paid with a salary barely passing their rent and degradation. In short, a modern time slavery. 

Futaba gave them the position and keyword for Okumura’s Palace. As soon as the familiar black and red ripple faded away from his sight, Akira moved forward with no hesitation, reckless in each shadow they encountered. He bulldozed through every single one of them; each drew more and more blood as he ripped their mask off with force. Ryuji was panting by the tenth shadow they fought, but Akira kept moving on. 

He needed to distract himself so he pushed onwards. 

Makoto had to stop him from marching through an army of guards in the hallway, partially because she knew how Akira would massacre all of them like a maniac, and partially because Yusuke was growing pale at the sight of Metaverse blood. 

In the safe room, Akira shed his leather coat and threw it on the sofa, while claiming a spot on the nearby table. He sighed as he sat down, letting go a bit of his stress. The other thieves took the available spaces to rest, each of them casted a worried look on their leader. 

“Joker.” 

The raven looked at Futaba laying on the sofa. His coat laid crumpled on the floor. The wrinkles were going to look _awesome_ on him after this. “What’s up?” 

Futaba gestured for him to come closer. When he was within an earshot, Futaba whispered. “We have a stalker behind us.” 

Akira took a moment to let the information register, but he didn’t outright show his panic. “Do you know who it is?” 

The girl nodded. “It’s a solid maybe at best, but I have a clue.” 

The leader followed suit, nodding at her answer. “We’ll talk more about it after we’re out of here. How long has the person been following us?” 

“Since the start of the Palace,” replied her under her breath, enough to be audible only to Akira. “But I can’t sense a presence anymore. The person might’ve left.” 

Akira let his sight run wild around the room, scanning the small chamber to appear unassuming. “Good then.” When he’s about to step away, Futaba caught his hand. 

“Wait. One more thing.” 

Her voice was now loud enough to be heard by everyone. Akira deliberately looked back at her, standing perfectly still. 

“Stop being a bitch.” 

Akira had to double take her words. Beside him, Makoto and Ann had shushed her, afraid of raising Akira’s anger. “Futaba, don’t use that tone with our leader!” 

“Inari was about to faceplant on the ground before we got to the safe room. Skull threw up because he was tired and had nothing to eat for the whole day. Queen was wobbling from her migraine. Panther was trying to support you to the best of her abilities,” ranted her unprovoked. “I have every right to say, you are being a bitch, Joker. You didn’t pay attention to us at all and kept going.” 

The leader was silenced once again. His heart beat rapidly, controlling the flames of anger and shame inside him. He pulled his hand from Futaba’s grasp. “I reassign leadership to Queen for now.” 

Everyone looked at each other before turning back to him. 

“I’m clearly not in the right mind to lead all of you. For the time being, Queen will make sure we are safely trudging inside and Oracle will keep an eye on the traps.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. The stress was affecting him, whether he liked it or not, and it was hurting him and his friends. 

“Anyone disagrees?” 

They shook their heads in unison. Akira nodded. 

“Drink up some coffee and let’s—“ He stopped himself before he gave out any orders. “…Let’s wait for our leader’s decision to move.” 

He gave an apologetic glance at Makoto. The brunette smiled. 

“Replenish your stamina, people. Once we are well-rested, we’ll head out again.” 

* * *

Leblanc was silent that day, except for a few regular customers who were there to catch up on Sojiro. Akira didn’t mind it at all. Some days, business is like that, and he got to clear his head from all the stress of losing Morgana. 

Just when he let a sigh of relief, the doorbell jingled. An unfamiliar middle-aged man stepped in and Sojiro immediately stood up. “You again,” said him with a sigh. 

“Hey, Sojiro~! Looks like your business is going well, eh?” 

The old man grunted, eyes glaring holes on the stranger. 

“Can’t believe this rundown café still got customers. That means you must have money to pay me, right?” 

It clicked in Akira’s mind. Oh, it’s Futaba’s asshole uncle. 

“I’m not paying a penny to you. Get out of my café.” 

“I told you.” The uncle stepped forward, and Akira left the counter to stand beside Sojiro. “You thought I was playing? If you’re not going to pay me, I will take Futaba away from you.” He smirked. “You know I’m going to win in court, right? Between you and a blood relative like me, you stand no chance, Sojiro.” 

Sojiro seemed to be on edge even with Akira by his side. The old man was having enough troubles with Futaba being a shut-in and Sae pushing him to release his adoption rights, he surely didn’t appreciate the pressure from the uncle. 

Like a miracle, the door opened to reveal Akechi Goro, who was frozen upon seeing Akira beside Sojiro and later the stranger in front of them. 

Akira felt like groaning. He didn’t want to meet Goro right now after he isolated himself from being Akira’s friend for more than a month, but now is not the time. 

“I’m sorry for interrupt—“ 

“No, it’s okay. This argument is over,” said Sojiro, a hint of finality in his tone. 

“I’ll come back, Sojiro. Make sure you pay me the child support money next time I come~” 

Akira gritted his teeth. “He won’t give you a cent. Screw off,” uttered him menacingly. 

The uncle halted his steps and turned to look at Akira, his eyes shone like a predator. “Sorry, brat, what did you say?” 

“You spend your money recklessly and let Futaba sleep on the floor like an animal.” 

“Boy, I suggest you shut up. This isn’t your fight.” 

“You starve her and didn’t let her bathe for days!” 

Sojiro wanted to interject Akira but he knew what the raven was saying was the truth. On the other hand, the uncle grew enraged by Akira. 

“You shut up! She’s my niece and I do what I want with her!” 

The old man turned sharply at the uncle. “Don’t say it like she’s your property, asshole!” 

“I’m an asshole? You son of a—“ 

The man stride forward and directed a hit at Sojiro, but Akira barred his movement and ended up taking the brunt of his punch. His glasses flew on the booth next to them. Akira can already feel the wound on his cracked lips. 

At the speed of light, Goro was in front of him, holding fast the hand that was more than ready to throw another hit. “Sir, I’m afraid if you continue with this, I will have to arrest you.” 

The man looked back and forth between Goro and Sojiro, and later pulled his arm away. “That’ll teach the boy a lesson not to interrupt an old man’s talk.” 

Sojiro shook in anger. “ _You lay another finger on him and I’ll…_ ” 

“You’ll what? Sue me? Don’t think I don’t know he’s that delinquent boy you took in.” He proudly massaged his wrist with a victory smirk. “It’s very easy to take Futaba back, and easier to release that boy from your custody. Remember Sojiro, I could destroy your livelihood in a snap of my finger.” 

Akira stood back up, wiping the blood dripping from his nose. “Would you kindly leave this establishment, sir?” His sharp silver eyes glared daggers on the uncle. Finally, his scary physical traits offered him some good. The uncle seemed perturbed by the look and he gulped out of fear. He quickly turned towards the door and shouted, “I’ll be back, morons! Make sure you have the money!” 

The door shut and silence rained upon Leblanc once again. The brunette turned behind him to take a look at Akira, only for the raven to brush him off and head upstairs to fetch the First Aid Kit. Goro looked at Sojiro who was equally as stunned as him. The older man asked Goro to follow him upstairs if he’s willing to face Akira’s foul mood, and Goro took the chance. 

As he took deliberate steps, he heard winces from Akira who was trying to clean the bruise on his cheek. The heels clacked as he moved towards the bed. Akira held the small mirror in his hand and a cotton on the other, both were shaking intensely from the pain. 

Goro snatched the cotton off his hand and sat down. 

Akira stood up and went downstairs, shutting himself in the bathroom. 

If the brunette was stunned before, now he’s absolutely astounded by Akira’s attitude now. He chased after him and knocked on the bathroom door. “Akira, open the door.” 

“Oh, look who decided to show up after weeks of avoiding me,” mocked the voice inside. 

Goro sighed. “You need to clean your wound or it’ll get infected.” 

“What’s the worst that could happen?” 

At the retort, Goro exhaled sharply. “Fine. I’ll leave.” 

He gathered his things and headed towards the door when he heard the bathroom door unlocked. Akira stepped out and leaned on the wall next to it, his hands crossed over his chest. Goro took a quick glance at Akira, both were delivering sharp glares at each other before the brunette headed out. 

Sojiro let a heavy sigh once the door was shut. “You proud of yourself?” 

Akira was still staring at the door where Goro just left. The wall that he breached not too long ago was now back up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I made Akira reversing his social links because that's how life is. You can't keep going forward.


	11. Welcome Back, Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru's entrance and other stuff!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the late update. I got a new job and it's highly demanding of my time. I can barely get my YOI zine pic done so I apologize again. Please enjoy this chapter! <3

“Wait, WHAT TH--.” 

The opened hallway in front of them was suddenly snapped shut by a door. Akira managed to flip back before his leg was snapped to two. His feet screeched next to Yusuke. They stared at the metallic door, and the door stared back. It’s not going to open any sooner. 

“Guys,” called the red-headed navigator. “It’s a biometric-locked door.” 

“What does that even mean?” asked Ryuji. 

“It means we need Okumura’s DNA to open it,” answered Makoto. Her brows furrowed upon trying to solve the problem. 

Akira’s eyes glint from behind the mask. “Should we cut off his hand and bring it here then?” 

“Joker, _no._ ” 

They stood there, brainstorming on how they could get Okumura’s DNA; some of them involves waltzing into the Okumura building with James Bond-like agility, or cutting a path from the roof like a cheap Leverage simulator. All of them were shot down by Makoto as the acting leader. 

“I thought this Palace was easier than the Palaces we’ve done before…” Ann crouched down, tired from running around non-stop. “This door was the same as the ones we’ve traversed through, but what’s the problem with this one?” 

“That is true.” Futaba searched through the blueprint they snatched at the beginning of the journey. “I wonder what is different in this one.” 

“You mentioned that we need Okumura’s DNA to pass through this type of door, correct?” questioned Yusuke. Makoto and Futaba nodded. “How did the doors before us opened, if they function in the same way?” 

Akira snapped his finger. “Somebody must’ve passed through the door before us, but this time we managed to outrun them, that’s why we’re stuck here.” 

Futaba nodded in agreement. “I think so too. Which means Mona has gotten his hands on Okumura’s DNA and managed to get this far.” 

“Not so fast, people!” yelled a high-pitched voice from the darkness. They all swerved around to find the source of it and later found a silhouette standing on one of the racks. The figure emerged to show herself, clad with gentlemanly hat with a feather, pink blouse with a black vest strapped onto it, a puffy purple pants with thigh high boots. 

“The Black Mask?” Ann narrowed her eyes onto the mysterious girl. 

“So it was you…” seethed Yusuke. 

“To think all this time, it was a girl’s doing,” muttered Ryuji under his breath. 

The girl’s strong presence suddenly diminished into one of a mouse’s. Her posture caved in. “Uhm…” said her in a meek voice. “I..uh…” 

“You shall not go any further!” A familiar voice interjected their meeting. 

Ann perked up at the sight of the black and white tail. “Mona!” 

“Long time no see, Panther.” Mona smirked and landed next to the mystery girl. He gave each one of the Phantom Thieves a level stare, and ended up at Akira. “Joker,” said him with the tone of a stranger. 

“Mona,” mumbled Akira venomously. A white gloved hand pat Akira’s shoulder, urging him to not argue with the cat at this moment. 

“It’s a futile attempt. Just turn back, guys,” warned the feline creature. “Right beside me, is the Beauty Thief. We will snatch that treasure before you guys do.” He puffed his chest out proudly, glancing at the girl several times, like a broken cue on an inexperienced actor. 

“Oh!” As if the girl finally caught onto his signal, they both jumped off the rack and landed on the floor, forming an extravagant pose together. “I AM THE BEAUTY THIEF!” 

The Phantom Thieves gave them a brief moment of silence, processing the scene happening in front of them. So this was how they looked like to outsiders. Outrageous, Whimsical and simply….stupid. 

“…Mona already introduced you to us though,” said Ann, the ever kind girl. 

“You are qualified to be Phantom Thieves!” pushed the girl again, seemingly slipping mistakes in her words. “I MEAN, you are NOT qualified! Forget what I said earlier!” 

Morgana let out a quiet sigh of dejection, perhaps regretting his decision in pulling another person into this shitshow of a Palace. 

“YOU!” The girl pointed out at Akira. “What does it mean to be a Phantom Thief?” 

Akira blinked. His nose can’t help but smell the utter nervousness the girl exuded. She’s a total Omega. “Helping those in need,” said him with a poker face. 

“Yes, that’s right!” 

“You’re not supposed to agree with him!” whispered Mona loudly. 

“Oh my God, I’m sorry.” The girl winced apologetically. She cleared her throat and pulled out her index finger, now pointing it at Yusuke now. “YOU! Learn to take a hint!” 

“E-eh?!” The poor Yusuke was left baffled. 

“You!” Now it’s on Ryuji. “You’re very vulgar!.... And very stupid!” 

“What the fish?!” 

Akira secretly snorted. 

“And you!” 

The finger stayed pointed at Ann for a few seconds before the girl looked back at Morgana. “Uh, what was it again….?” 

Morgana sighed, giving up entirely. “Just skip to the last one…” ordered him, weak. 

The girl tilted her head, confused. She gasped in realization and then, posed again while shouting, “WE WILL TAKE THE TREASURE.” 

At this point, Morgana’s already hiding his face in his paws. The sheer embarrassment could kick his ass out of Metaverse. “Not that one…” 

“Oh you mean the _other_ last one…” muttered her. She sharply pointed at Akira. “YOU!” 

The raven gulped. “Y-yeah?” 

“Appreciate what you have, and stop chasing the impossible!” 

He blinked. “Uh, okay.” 

“Good,” said the girl. “Wait, you aren’t supposed to agree with me!” 

They all stared at her before Makoto declared, “we’re wasting our time here. Let’s move.” 

“But we’re stuck with this door,” pointed out Yusuke. 

“That’s where we differ,” said Morgana from a corner. The girl and he hopped towards the door and she touched the metal divider. The door lit up and opened instantly, to Futaba’s surprise. 

“…Okumura’s DNA…” muttered her. 

However, what lies beyond that door made all of them run out of Metaverse as soon as they can. Ryuji barely missed the laser singing his bangs and Ann’s tail. They were just glad they all made it out alive. 

* * *

Okumura Foods was going down in flames. Rumors of their employees being treated poorly with the rival CEO’s death made them the target of talk these days. Just yesterday, the gossip wasn’t this bad. It made Akira wonder what was going on. 

The next day, the ones attending Shujin gathered at the student council room to find back the girl from the numerous student’s year book. Akira felt like jumping off the building himself by trying to remember the mysterious girl and matching it with literally hundreds of female. 

“Now they all look the same to me…” Ann sighed as she snapped close one of the books. Akira couldn’t agree more. 

“We should take a break,” ordered Makoto. She herself closed the book in her hands before Ann stopped her hands. 

“Wait, look.” 

They all stared at the book in Makoto’s hands. 

“Okumura….? Haru Okumura,” read the brunette. “Now that I recall, she does possess the same fluffy hair.” 

“And that will also explain how she got to open that door,” weaved Akira. “I think we got the right student, guys.” 

They all nodded. All that’s left was to find the girl. 

* * *

It wasn’t hard to find her. Really, it wasn’t. All they need to do was walk out of the building and there she was, asking Ryuji’s help to bring the soil closer so she could garden. Ryuji did as he was told, without casting too much suspicion on Haru, as if he wasn’t an Alpha that can’t shy all the Omegas away with that stink of suspicion. Akira had to nudge him to calm him down. 

“I believe I’ve seen you somewhere before…” said the girl after thanking them. 

“I don’t know. Maybe that somewhere is your father’s Palace?” asked Ryuji without holding back. 

“Oh!” She sounded totally surprised. “It was you guys!” Now she’s giving a smile, as if last night was just a simple meeting. 

“Where is Morgana?” asked Akira menacingly. 

“I was told not to tell you about his bearings at the moment,” denied her. “But he did tell me to tell you to stop defying your true instincts.” 

Akira gripped his bag tight. “That cat can go fuck himself then.” 

Ryuji jabbed his side. “Bruh…” 

“Hey, why not go inside the Palace with us?” asked the blond. 

“If you would excuse my answer, I’d rather not go in with a bunch of people who were just chasing after fame.” 

Ryuji was shut up immediately. 

“I went in with the intention of changing my father’s heart. I want him to atone for his sins, and if by being a Beauty Thief can do that, hence I will continue until the end.” 

Seems like there was no argument about those. Akira had the suspicion on them doing it for fame would come and bite them in the ass later on, but not this early. He pulled Ryuji off to the side and walked back home, dejected. Looks like finding Morgana won’t be easy for them. 

* * *

**Futaba** : Hey guys, apparently somebody has been tampering with the requests from Mementos. 

**Ryuji** : whatchu mean 

**Makoto** : Somebody has been doing requests from Mementos for us? 

**Ann** : The Black Mask? 

**Yusuke** : I highly doubt it. 

**Yusuke** : But it could be the Beauty Thief. 

**Akira** : I think so too. Let’s go in Mementos tomorrow. 

**Ryuji** : *clears throat* 

**Akira** : I mean… 

**Akira** : Leader, what’s your say in this? 

**Makoto** : I agree with what you said hahah 

**Makoto** : Let’s go to Mementos tomorrow. 

* * *

If by sitting can turn your ass to stone, Akira’s would have turned into a statue by now. They waited and waited for a long while for the Beauty Thief and Morgana to show up, only to get shot down once Morgana saw his face. 

“Look what we have here. An Akechi fanboy,” mocked the cat. 

“Morgana, look, we need to talk,” said Akira. 

“I don’t think you need me in the team anyway. You guys have Futaba now.” The feline scoffed. 

“That is not the point.” 

“Then what is your point?!” 

Akira shut his mouth that’s about to retort with an equally high tone but he knew better. He stood in front of Morgana, knelt down and bowed his head. 

“I’m sorry,” said him simply. 

Morgana seemed touched by the gesture. “Akira…” 

“I kept an eye on you ever since I know you had nightmares. I just want to know what’s been bothering you.” He took a breath before he choked in his own words. “Please feel free to vent to me. In a way, you are my brother. You have been a part of me ever since I came to Shibuya. I don’t feel complete without you.” 

Morgana walked closer to Akira to pat his head. “Akira, don’t…” 

“Please forgive me, Morgana.” 

The cat’s paws settled on his head and asked for him to lift his head. 

“I-I’m sorry too….For calling you an Omega whore to Akechi…” 

The two hugged. Ann and Futaba cried at the reunion, while Ryuji was confused at the side. 

“Wait, you’re an Omega?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One problem down. Another problem to go.


	12. The Solution is Simple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru is now in the band. Akira has someone to relate to, finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm still alive .-. Work has been taking my time so I'm sorry for the late update.   
> Here's some Akira and Haru bonding time!

**Makoto** : Hey guys. News update. 

**Makoto** : As you can see, I’ve added Haru into this group. 

**Makoto** : As well as stepping down from the leader title. 

**Makoto** : Akira, all yours. 

**Akira** : Thanks for all your hard work, Makoto 

**Makoto** : No problem, Leader. 

**Ryuji** : Woohoo!!! Grats on your rethronement, Akira! 

**Ann** : Is rethronement even a word? 

**Yusuke** : I believe Ryuji meant rebestowal. 

**Haru** : Is there any reason for Akira to step down from the leader position before? Do you guys change leaders every Palace? 

**Futaba** : no, we’re not that adaptable. Akira here had a sudden breakdown from all his real life problems and it was affecting his decision-making ability 

**Ann** : so he made Makoto an acting leader until we found Morgana at least 

**Haru** : At least? 

**Yusuke** : It’s as if you’re implying Akira has another problem to deal with. 

**Akira** : NOT IMPORTANT 

**Akira** : Ann, shush 

**Ann** : Oops ._. sorry sorry 

**Ryuji** : Bro, you know if you need a person to talk to, I’m always here 

**Akira** : I know bro sorry :( 

**Akira** : Anyway 

**Akira** : We will further discuss on how we will confront Okumura in the end, considering Haru doesn’t have a Persona yet. 

**Makoto** : Even without a Persona, she managed to come that far… I have to say I’m impressed. 

**Akira** : Morgana said she kicks ass so much and got abs 

**Akira** : what the fuck Morgana I don’t need to know that 

**Haru** : I feel the need to clarify, I do not have abs ^_^ 

**Haru** : However, my personal trainer seem to be satisfied by my health report every month so I guess that means I am fit, correct? 

**Ann** : Ooooo I’m definitely taking you shopping with me!!! 

**Ryuji** : rip haru 

**Futaba** : personal trainer tho… 

**Akira** : I know right… 

**Yusuke** : So how do we extract a Persona out of Haru? We can’t simply put her in the face of danger with the risk of no Persona summons at all. The consequence will be too dire. 

**Makoto** : I agree. Maybe we will meet her father midway and let her confront her feelings. 

**Makoto** : Or at least, that’s how we’re able to obtain Personas, if I recall correctly. 

**Akira** : Makoto has a point. Let’s hope we can get a glimpse of what we’re coming for. 

**Haru** : I have something to say. 

**Haru** : I thank you all for being with me after I rejected all of your help regarding my father’s Palace. I felt like this is a personal problem and should be resolved by me and me alone. 

**Haru** : That said, I realized that my own strength can only go so far. I would need friends to go further. 

**Haru** : Please do not mistake that as me using you. I shall not abandon you in times of need to come. 

**Ryuji** : she’s so polite it’s scary… 

**Ann** : what how 

**Yusuke** : Isn’t she the type of your liking, Ryuji? 

**Ryuji** : ah hecc naw 

**Akira** : I also have something else to confess as well. 

**Akira** : As you guys have speculated, or heard (for Ryuji), I am an Omega 

**Akira** : It’s not something I talk about to just anyone 

**Makoto** : We figured it out kind of by instincts? 

**Ryuji** : Are you sure you’re a Beta, Makoto? 

**Makoto** : 100%. 

**Yusuke** : Yes, as an Omega, you have that comforting aura that draws people to you. You might’ve realized it yourself that people were only intimidated by your appearance but once you start talking, it was as if they were… 

**Yusuke** : …Entranced. 

**Ann** : oh my god AKECHI WAS SO ENTRANCED BY AKIRA 

**Akira** : ANN!! 

**Ann** : FNUISEHF IM SORRY 

**Ryuji** : I mean, if we didn’t know Akechi has a crush on Akira by now, it must be pretty stupid of them. 

**Yusuke** : Need I remind you that you were the last one to know about that crush and Akira being an Omega? 

**Ryuji** : you stfu >:( 

**Akira** : “Congratulations. You played yourself.” – Morgana 

**Ryuji** : Smack that cat for me 

**Akira** : I can’t. He’s sitting on the other side of the attic. 

**Ryuji** : Then how can he read the screen? 

**Akira** : He ran away real fast, what can I say 

**Ryuji** : chase after him then! 

**Akira** : I’m sorry bro there’s a lot of things I’d do for you but I’m in my bed now so nah 

**Haru** : Hold on. By that Akechi, do you mean, Akechi Goro, the Detective Prince? 

**Ann** : The one and only! 

**Haru** : I have no idea that you are a close acquaintance of him! What a pleasant surprise. 

**Makoto** : Close acquaintance might be a bit… 

**Yusuke** : Incorrect, yes. 

**Haru** : Do you guys not get along? 

**Makoto** : Actually, only Akira gets along with him. The rest of us villainized him because he kept saying the Phantom Thieves are no better than the criminals worthy of being thrown in jail. 

**Haru** : Understandable. That will definitely surface some discord between you and him. 

**Haru** : I still wonder how Akira know Akechi? 

**Makoto** : Akechi frequents Leblanc, the shop where Akira lives and works. 

**Haru** : Oh! 

**Haru** : My, how romantic. 

**Akira** : It’s really not… 

**Akira** : Since you guys are curious, the other problem I have is Akechi himself. 

**Ann** : Why? Lover’s quarrel? 

**Yusuke** : Did you two fight? 

**Ryuji** : omg dude when 

**Futaba** : there’s turmoil in the love nest of two! 

**Makoto** : He’s been silent… Is Akira okay? 

**Haru** : You really don’t have to tell us if it’s uncomfortable. 

**Akira** : It’s okay. I figured you guys might be able to give me a different insight on this thing. 

**Akira** : So you know about the rivalry and flirting between me and Akechi, right? We talk about justice and freedom of speech and monarchy and stuff whenever we spend time together in Leblanc 

**Ryuji** : you sure talk about heavy stuff .-. 

**Akira** : It’s just our cup of tea. 

**Akira** : Heh 

**Akira** : When I lost Morgana, I almost got in a fight with Futaba’s uncle that came over Leblanc 

**Futaba** : Oh yeah that… 

**Futaba** : That caused a rift between you and him? 

**Akira** : No. He saved me from being beaten by your uncle. 

**Makoto** : ! 

**Yusuke** : !!! 

**Ann** : !!! 

**Ryuji** : !!!!!!!!!!!! 

**Futaba** : !!!!!!!!!!!! 

**Haru** : ….So tell me, how did you and Akechi started fighting again? 

**Akira** : I’m getting there. 

**Akira** : After the uncle left, Akechi offered to treat my bruises but I was 

**Akira** : For the lack of better word, being a bitch 

**Akira** : I guess he was fed up with me. 

**Akira** : And he left immediately. 

**Ryuji** : That doesn’t really sound like a fight. 

**Yusuke** : It sure doesn’t, but Ryuji do you know, a cold shoulder treatment hurts the most. 

**Makoto** : When’s the last time Akechi contacted you, Akira? 

**Akira** : He stopped texting me before we went to Hawaii. Probably busy with his police things. 

**Akira** : That’s why I was mad. 

**Akira** : He promised he’d stay in contact. 

**Ann** : That’s really sad… 

**Yusuke** : I’m sorry for I am not well-versed in love communications, but don’t you two have a lot to talk about, Akira? 

**Akira** : ? What do you mean? 

**Yusuke** : The lack of communication between you and Akechi is what causes this. 

**Yusuke** : The solution is to simply talk. 

**Ann** : If it’s that easy to reach him, then he wouldn’t be having this problem. 

**Akira** : But Yusuke has a point. 

**Akira** : Thanks bud :) 

**Yusuke** : It’s my pleasure. 

* * *

Carefully, the small rake plowed through the little space in the pot. Her hands swiftly plucked out weeds budding on the soil. After sprinkling some fertilizers, she stood up, slapping away dirt from her hands and went to wipe the sweat forming on her forehead. That was when Haru realized that was another person standing beside her. “Oh!” She jerked backwards by the surprise. 

“I’m sorry.” Akira immediately apologized. “You were so engrossed by that, I didn’t have the heart to call you for the fourth time.” 

“You called me?” 

He blinked. “For the first three, yeah.” Holy moly, her concentration was something else. 

“My apologies. I tend to be in my own world when I’m gardening.” Her eyes smiled as she laughed at her own quirk. “Anything you want from me, Akira-san?” 

“Please, just Akira.” 

“Understood.” She nodded. “What is it then, Just Akira?” 

A single chuckle escaped him. “Nothing actually. I just want to get to know you better, since you are now a part of Phantom Thieves.” 

“Ah, I believe this is _the talk_ they were mentioning before?” She looked away as if recalling her past conversations with her teammates. 

“ _The talk_?” 

“Yes. They said you tend to approach new members with the intention of ‘getting to know them better’ and they called it such.” 

Huh. “Hope you heard good things about it then.” 

“Absolutely! I’ve prepared myself for this moment, in fact,” said her, enthusiastic in her own dainty way. Haru was truly a charming Omega. Akira chuckled once more and leaned back on a stack of abandoned desks. 

“So, let’s start with your family and your quest for clearing the Palace.” 

She followed him suit and took off her gardening gloves, placing it next to her. “You guys saw how… ruthless… Sugimura-kun can be. When he’s not in front of my father. However, my father had formed a contract to wed me and him so his company could grow. He’s planning to dive into politics to take down Shido-san.” 

“Wait,” interrupted Akira. “Sugimura-kun was the brunette that kicked Morgana, right?” 

“The very one.” She nodded, biting her lips. “Fathers of an Omega tend to marry us off right after we finish high school, sometimes before we could finish our education. Once my father knew I am of an Omega descent, he was utmost disappointed. He wishes for an Alpha child to take over his company one day.” 

Akira stared at Haru as she told him her story. Despite the depressing undertones she was giving, her scent was surprisingly… gentle. Calm, even. She wasn’t insecure at all, and that’s what intrigued Akira. 

“You feel helpless as an Omega?” asked him. 

“I think you’re misunderstanding the role of our second gender, Akira.” She smiled as she looked up to him. “Omegas, Alphas and Betas, they are but a portion of us. They might define what we are in life, but it’s not all of us. We have personalities, jobs, responsibilities and etcetera. How you act as an Omega isn’t important. How you act as a person is what matters most.” 

His eyes narrowed down on Haru as she kept her smile on her face. “I’m sensing that you’re trying to tell me something else.” 

“I’ve heard a lot about you from them.” 

Guess he wasn’t as mysterious as he thought he was. 

“From what I can deduce, you seem to hate your position as the submissive one in your nature?” 

Akira looked away, his crooked smile showing discomfort to the idea. 

“I’m not one to critique, Akira, since I don’t know all of your story. But from what I can gather, being Omega isn’t that bad.” Her smile turned much livelier, her eyes glowing like crescent moon. “We can never be in the spotlight, but we support our Alphas in a way no other genders can. Without us, they can only go so far. We might not be powerful but our compassion is our strength.” 

He breathed a sigh, sparing Haru a glance, letting her words sink in. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to lecture you about this. I only meant to tell you about my life.” She looked forward, slightly frantic in her position. 

“I come up here only to be given a speech by my senior.” He faked a sob and wiped his fake tears. Haru giggled at his gesture. 

“Well then, that’s all you need to know about me!” She grinned, grabbed her gloves and wore them in an instant. “Since you’re here, why don’t you learn a thing or two about gardening with me? I could use another pair of hands.” 

“Sure.” He wiped his hands that was questionable whether it’s clean or not. “What do you need help with?” 

“Can you bring that pot over there to here?” 

“Sure thing.” He went to fetch the pot as requested and lifted it carefully. “Haru, is gardening your hobby?” 

“Mmhm.” She hummed as a way of saying yes. “But I don’t get this chance often at home. My father sends me home tutor to spend my free time to study business.” 

“Wow, you can’t even rest at home.” The pot clanked as he landed it on the floor next to Haru. She wiggled the pot to bring it closer. 

“I can’t say I hate business, but it’s not my favourite subject either.” Haru grabbed her small rake and started plowing again. “Someday, I want to open a café with my own farm-grown coffee beans.” 

At the word ‘coffee’, Akira perked up. “Really?” 

“Yep! I’ve seen Leblanc and tasted its coffee. It was a phenomenal experience. I hope to reach that level of expertise in the future.” 

Akira smiled at the praise meant for Sojiro. He’s utterly proud of his guardian. “Well, I hope to see more of you in Leblanc. I’ll be waiting.” 

She chuckled. “Definitely. Don’t get sick of me because I’m going to show up more often and taste every single one of your coffee!” 

They laughed together. 

“By the way, Ann mentioned that you tried making your own blend of coffee sometimes?” 

He froze upon hearing it. 

“I am curious, and well, I don’t mean to implore, but in case you discover any good blends, please lend it to me? I’ve been meaning to learn about coffee-making myself,” said her, looking hopeful. 

“For sure! I’ll lend some to you. I got a few that managed to suit someone’s taste… But my guinea pig is currently unavailable so my experiments have been put on hold.” In his hands now laid a plastic kettle. He watered the tomato plants gently. “He stopped dropping by after I got in an argument with him.” 

“Oh my… I’m sorry…” She stopped plowing and gazed at Akira. “Have you tried talking with him? I’m sure you guys can mend that bridge. You guys sound close.” 

Akira fell silent. The water dripped down the side of the pots as he showered the rest of the plants excessively. After a few smacks of his lips, he muttered, “I’ll give it a try.” 

* * *

**Akira** : Hey, it’s me 

**Akira** : fucking talk with me goddami… 

He deleted that sentence. 

**Akira** : We need to talk 

**Akira** : Or at least meet once 

**Akira** : I know you read this 

**Akira** : They’re ticked blue if you see it, silly 

**Akira** : and I asked Futaba to hack into your phone camera so I could see yo… 

He deleted again. 

**Akira** : please 

**Akira** : Your seat in Leblanc is cold 

He closed his phone and laid down on the bed, throwing the phone next to him. Morgana decided to foray the streets once again in search of tuna which most of the time, yields him a big one. Damn him and his cute cat face. 

Akira nearly missed the ping when his eyes closed for a few seconds, falling into slumber. He hastily woke up and looked. 

Ah, it’s only Ryuji. 

He scrolled down on his notification and read the preview. 

**Ryuji** : Akira, how do u pick up girls? I just met some cute ones in my mom’s store I want to get a gf now xD 

He sighed and locked his phone, this time falling asleep for real. 

In the midst of the night, while Akira was in deep sleep, the phone pinged twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a bitch to edit ohmygod never again


	13. Fall That Tastes like Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira reached out to Goro, and turns out they both needed the helping hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept thinking about this (because I'm a sucker for akeshu talks) and no matter how I write, it always turned out like this. I hope you enjoy this chapter too! :)

It was a rollercoaster of a week. Their run in Okumura’s Palace showed tremendous progress – each level showed a horrific sight of how Okumura Kunikazu viewed his employees – and they managed to get a hold of Okumura midway. 

Haru’s Milady was nothing short of **awesome.**

She was absolutely powerful before her summon, and now she has obtained a Persona, her ability just went through the roof. If Akira wasn’t careful, she might surpass him one day, and as a wildcard, that’s embarrassing. 

On another note, once the week started, they were greeted with the news of Shujin’s principal passing away of heart failure. 

In the middle of the street. 

Conveniently on his way to the police station. 

Something uncanny was going on and if the other party was trying to cover their tracks from Metaverse, they were doing it poorly. The shadiness stink to Hawaii. 

He, however, cannot rest until he can meet Akechi Goro again. The first time after months of avoidance. 

When Akira saw Goro’s text the next morning, he cursed himself for falling asleep so early that night (it wasn’t that early however. It was 12am but Akira usually sleeps at 2AM.) 

**Goro** : If it’s talk that you want, fine. 

**Goro** : I’m free this Thursday evening. Meet me at Inokashira Park at 7PM. 

Between them nearly completing Okumura’s Palace and their principal’s death, Akira was confused as to how he’s supposed to feel. His plan for Goro was definitely showing some development. Anything was better than the silence they had. He once resorted to watching Goro’s interview in his shitty laptop all day. Futaba had to tell him to get out and meet his friends to drag him out of his depressed state. 

Futaba, of all people. 

That Thursday evening, he took the train to Inokashira Park and sat on the bench alone. The clock struck 6PM. 

Fuck. He’s too early. Now what should he do? There’s a crepe stand nearby, he should get some. 

Or maybe he should wait until Goro’s here. The crepe should decrease the tension between him and the detective. 

Or maybe he shouldn’t. Serious talk shouldn’t be interjected with food. 

His nervousness smell was excreting excessively, the people around him started to notice and making faces at him. Akira quickly took out his scent blocker and swiped it on his nodes. He also pulled out Febreeze and sprayed it around like a maniac, hoping it would clear the air off his scent. 

Once he calmed down, he looked down on his watch. 6:40PM. 

Double fuck. Why did he get here so early? He settled on scrolling down his Twitter and Instagram feed. Seemed like Goro hasn’t been posting or updating lately. He wondered if Goro was affected by their souring relationship. 

From the ‘choking Sasuke’ memes to Kingdom Hearts spoilers, Akira succeed in distracting himself for the next ten minutes before he felt a shadow peering over his screen. He looked up to meet face to face with Akechi Goro’s equally stunned face. 

_So close._

He had to scoot to the left a little to give some room between him and the brunette. His hand put away the phone into his pocket. “W-when did you get here?” 

The brunette was slightly blushing. It fluttered Akira’s heart. He missed him so much. 

“About five minutes ago.” 

Akira blinked. “Why didn’t you call me?” 

“You were so busy reading Twitter, I don’t want to pull you out of that trance.” 

That was a weird answer but Akira couldn’t care less. What he’s bothered with now was Goro’s disheveled look; some of his hair were sticking out, his collar unbalanced and unpinned, his tie was big and loose, like being wrapped by an untrained hand. 

“Wow, you look like shit. Are you okay?” 

The brunette looked at him, dumbfounded. “Is it that obvious that I’m not well?” 

The raven immediately nodded. Goro gave a small chuckle. 

“I guess,” said him, agreeing with the notion. Akira grew worried over the brunette. He pulled out a comb from his back pocket and held Goro’s head. 

“Be still.” 

Before Goro could register his words, his hair was being groomed gently by Akira. His blush turned a shade darker. 

“We can talk about us after. For now, let me spoil you. You seem like you could use some pampering,” said Akira with no hint of tolerance for Goro’s denial. 

And the best thing was, Goro didn’t deny. 

* * *

A few crepes and drinks later, Goro was refreshed and happier than he originally was. Once he was well-fed, he seemed ready to talk. 

“Akira.” 

His heart was thumping so hard at the voice. Boy, it’s been a while since he felt like this. 

The brunette was opening and closing his mouth several times, finding the right words to say. “I think we should… Just stop whatever we have.” 

Akira felt the crepe he just ate climbed back up. He took a deep breath and exhaled softly. “What brought this upon?” 

They shared a gaze and Goro replied, “My work will continue to demand my presence and danger that comes with it. I will not be able to drop by Leblanc as often as before. I suggest you distance yourself from me. It’s harmful for the both of us.” 

Akira stared into Goro’s eyes. Deep, dark crimson. A perfect shade of blood. It reminded him of Goro’s scent. It was meek at this moment. He’s shrinking from this world, he can tell. 

“Bold of you to assume I’d just follow what you said.” Akira switched his gaze to looking at the ducks swimming in flocks at the nearby river. 

“Akira—“ 

“Does our meeting mean anything to you?” 

“Huh?” Goro quickly fixed his gaze to the raven. “Akira, if it doesn’t mean anything to me, we wouldn’t be calling each other by first names.” 

“Don’t get defensive, Goro,” uttered Akira, calm and collected. He turned back to the detective. “I’m just making sure…that we’re on the same page in this friendship.” 

They went silent for a few seconds and the birds’ loud chirping engulfed everything else in the park. The sky was splashed purple and stars started to freckle the sky. He looked up and enjoyed the heavy silence. Beside him, Goro was growing restless. 

“Whatever you thought it was, you matter to me, Akira.” His voice was low, as if only meant for Akira to hear it. Akira entertained the idea of Goro speaking in that manner only for him. His heart fluttered once again. 

“I care deeply for you, Goro. It’s too deeply-rooted in my heart.” 

They both still refused to look at each other, deciding it was best to focus on the darkening sky of Tokyo. The pavement was brightened by street lamps. Crickets started their symphony in the forest nearby. The sound of nature continue to blind the bridge between them. A bridge that was destroyed by Akira himself. 

“What do you mea—“ 

“I know what I said,” cut Akira. He turned towards Goro and deliberately touched the brunette’s hand. The other gasped at the contact. 

“Akira, you don’t know what you’re asking for.” 

“Then it’s okay for you to say I matter to you and when I try to reciprocate, you shy away from my feelings?” His gaze grew intense, now Goro was looking back at him. This whole situation was so unfair. He’s being unfair again. “Goro, what do you hope to achieve when you come here? What are we?” 

Goro stared at him for several minutes before looking away, dejected and sighing. “I don’t know myself, Akira.” He stood up and walked near the pond. Akira followed him. “You give me peace I can never find elsewhere. You provided me an asylum of where I can be myself, and not the detective idol they want me to be. You stripped me off my everyday mask and I’m uncomfortable with it—“ 

Before Akira could interject him, he raised his finger. “Let me finish.” 

Akira closed his mouth. 

“It was uncomfortable at first. I wasn’t used to baring my soul in front of people, but your aura – or I could say, your scent – it was tempting me to spill everything I have to you.” 

The brunette’s blood odor turned mild, changing slightly with a pinch of tanginess, almost like an everyday perfume. Akira had never smelled this before, but he’s more than happy to accept this change. 

“Then…” The raven felt like it’s time for him to ask. “What do you consider me as?” 

The brunette was silenced by Akira’s question. He licked his lips a few times. Akira could barely see what’s going on in the dark. The light from the lamp posts only reached so far in the night. 

The raven suddenly felt a pair of lips on his mouth. He gasped at the warmness of Goro’s breath on his cheeks. His heart thumped loudly, he can hear it in his ears. There was no sliding movement, only a still kiss. 

But it was perfect. 

Goro pulled away, probably blushing to high heavens. Akira was too. 

“That,” answered the brunette, barely passing as a whisper. 

Akira’s heart was soaring in the sky, it refused to come back down. He went closer to Goro, chasing after him before he shrunk away again. He settled a hand over Goro’s. In between registering what had been done, Akira tightened his grip on Goro’s hand. His lips felt cold; already missing the heat from Goro’s mouth. He needed to come back to reality. Life will never be this perfect. It can’t be. 

“Goro,” called him softly. “If we do care for each other, we have to work to protect it.” 

Goro spared a glance at him, questioning the meaning of his statement. 

“Even if a flower blooms, if we do not fertilize and pull the weeds out, it will die eventually.” 

Introducing a new version of Akira, now with flower and gardening metaphor, thanks to Haru Okumura. Goddammit Haru. 

A single breath of chuckle came from Goro, amused by Akira’s randomness. “You and your strange metaphors.” 

“Don’t you miss it?” 

“Very.” 

The raven smiled, content with Goro now emerging out of his shell once more. He was afraid that Goro would be too scared to open up to him once he screwed things up. If Goro was more than willing to mend their friendship, then he would be ten times more willing to return the effort. 

“What would you do if I stop frequenting Leblanc once more?” 

“I will personally find you in your apartment just to cornhobble you.” 

Goro blinked, and later formed a soft smile. “I hate that I know what that means.” 

“Then you’d know what to expect.” Akira grinned. 

Their hands stayed connected for the rest of the evening as they talked. 

* * *

That Friday, Goro dropped by Leblanc to refill his urge for a house blend. “Especially made by the handsome barista, please.” He winked. 

Was it overreaction if Akira pour the scalding hot coffee on Goro’s face as a reply to his flirtation? 

He then settled over rolling his eyes with a smile. “You’ll have to wait. I got a few customers waiting for their coffee.” He went back to measuring the ratio for today’s blend. 

“Oh wow, so this is the extent of your ‘care’, Akira.” He pouted, faking sulk at his seat. He pursed his lips like a child. 

The raven gave him a bored stare. In his hands, the jug of coffee was waiting to be served. He then ignored Goro to bring the coffee to other customers. 

After he’s done, he poked Goro’s shoulder from behind. 

“What?” uttered him, not looking at Akira. Dammit, was he still sulking? 

Akira poked him again. 

With a huff, he turned around, only for his cheek to be kissed by Akira. The raven quickly retreated back to his counter, leaving the stunned Goro frozen in that posture. 

“I’m making your coffee now, **honey~** ” 

That might have revived Goro back because he was now facing forward, his face splashed red. To be fair, he’s the one who started flirting first. With a smile on his face, Akira started his work. 

Goro stayed until closing, in which case Sojiro kept glancing at the boy and weaving in a few questions like _how are you today?, is the coffee from him okay?, did he troll you again?_ and _aren’t you tired from smiling all the time?_

Man, it’s gotta be a sin to be this happy just from reconciling with a person. But at this point, Akira didn’t care. He let Goro overwhelm his sight for now. Letting his scent envelop his body for the evening. He’s going to dream of Goro tonight. For once, he let himself enjoy being an Omega. 

* * *

On the way home, Goro received a phone call. The lack of passengers in the train made it easier for him to pick it up. He glanced at the screen. 

_Dicctator Shido is calling…_

He sighed. Goro calmed down and swiped the phone icon. “Hello?” said him in the lowest tone. 

“It’s been a week. How long do I have to wait for Kunikazu to die?” 

Goro bit his lips. “The Phantom Thieves are almost at the end. I can’t kill him until they have met, boss.” 

A sharp exhale was heard from the other end. “I will give you one more day, Akechi. If not, you know what will happen.” It was as if he can hear the smirk in his voice. The brunette gripped his pants until his knuckles turned white. He dared not think about the consequence where he didn’t manage to finish his mission by tomorrow. 

“I… will get it done…boss,” answered him, hesitantly. 

“Good.” 

The call was ended in an instant. Goro held out the phone, staring into his screen that has faded to black. As he stared into his reflection, he realized that his hands were shaking. 

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to even his breath. His mind racking through the memories of which can help calm him down. 

He remembered the river where he spent time crying or hugging his mom. It was now a recreational park. 

He imagined the freedom while riding his bicycle in the crack of dawn. Someone stole his bicycle and now he’s left with just walking. 

He pictured his pet crow when he was fourteen. Crows are intelligent beings and he loves them so much. 

And that one died of poison. 

He was more than sure that Shido paid somebody to cut his ties with everyone else in the world, in case he has to get rid of Goro one day. Nobody would miss him. Nobody would even know he exists. 

He gasped as the train shook. He spared a glance at the stop. Three more stops and he’s home. 

The three stops felt like eternity. 

By the time he was at his doorstep, he got another call. 

_Akira is calling…_

Without thinking, he picked it up, not saying any greetings. Just thirsty for Akira’s calming voice. 

“Hello? Goro, are you there?” 

It’s like drinking from an oasis after a year of walking in the desert. “Yes, I’m here.” 

“Are you home?” 

He nodded and realized Akira couldn’t see him. “Just now.” 

“Good. Just making sure you got home safely.” 

Goro can hear the smile in the raven’s voice and it’s contagious. His lips slowly stretched into a smile. “How was business?” 

“As always. Same old customers that come and go. They’re starting to recognize my face. This is bad.” 

The brunette had to pause from taking off his shoes. “…Akira, what did you do to them?” 

“Oh, no, nothing too dangerous, my dear. Just maybe using last night’s coffee as breakfast drinks?” 

He gasped in horror. “Akira!” 

“Hey, they’re still alive, right? Besides, it wasn’t like it’s inedible. Just leftovers from last night. We shouldn’t waste too much.” 

“I’m really glad they don’t know this fact, but I’m never going there in the morning again.” 

“Aww, honey…” Goro’s heart nearly exploded. “I want to see your face everyday. I’ll give you free coffee, I promise.” 

He stubbed his toe at the tea table. The sudden pain made him curse out loud and nearly kissed the floor. Goro groaned as he sat on the floor, looking at his sad pinky toe turning red. 

“Are you okay?” 

“No,” replied him instantly. “I accidentally kicked my tea table.” 

“My flirting too much for you?” 

Goro chuckled, his face blushing slightly. “It’s never too much.” 

“Is my voice worth sacrificing that toe, sweetie?” 

Akira is going to kill him someday. 

“I’d sacrifice anything for you, babe.” 

A chuckle was heard from the raven, low and alluring. It made Goro’s palm sweaty and his knees weak. “Alright, Goro, before I ask something ridiculous from you, you better go to bed.” 

Another smile on his lips. “Okay, that sounds good right now.” He dusted himself off and shed his jacket and tie, with the call still going. “Oh, Akira, will you be waiting for me?” 

An offended noise came from Akira, and it made Goro laughed. 

“You bet your ass, I am.” 

He laughed again. Shido’s warning shrunk away like a nightmare that has passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's really how Goro wrote Shido's name in his phone. No, I didn't misspell it.


	14. Unzipping Self

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelation after revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is longer than normal, I think? I don't know, it just felt like I have so many things I want to tell in one chapter. And you guys have been so precious in leaving sweet comments! I'm motivated to write :D Thank you so much!!!

**Akira** : Hello everyone 

**Akira** : I have an update. Not PT business but you guys are aware of it. 

**Makoto** : Oh? 

**Yusuke** : You finally talked to Akechi? 

**Akira** : …Damn, I’m starting to think you have sixth sense. 

**Akira** : Yes, me and Akechi has reconciled 

**Akira** : and then 

**Akira** : some more 

**Ann** : ooooooOOOOOOOOOO 

**Makoto** : No, Ann, noT oooooOOOO 

**Makoto** : Akira, he’s a detective! 

**Makoto** : investigating us 

**Akira** : Tell me something I don’t know, Makoto 

**Ryuji** : BRUH ARE YOU FOR REAL 

**Ryuji** : I feel betrayed man 

**Akira** : I still haven’t discussed that matter with him yet 

**Futaba** : yet 

**Futaba** : I know what you both are up to 

**Akira** : I know you bugged our phones but to eavesdrop our conversation? 

**Futaba** : ‘conversation’ 

**Ann** : My shipping heart 

**Ann** : Mark this at my grave 

**Haru** : I was wondering what the barrage of messages was about. 

**Haru** : Congratulations, Akira! In a way, I’m happy for you. 

**Haru** : I’ve done my own side of research too. Akechi is a very dangerous man to get involved with, and I’m starting to think you’re playing with fire here. 

**Akira** : Haru, not you too… 

**Akira** : Morgana is cool with it 

**Makoto** : Really? 

**Yusuke** : I’m sure there’s a catch 

**Akira** : ….Yusuke, stop reading my mind gdi 

**Akira** : Yeah. He told me to never invite Goro up the attic. Flirt all I want in the café. 

**Ann** : On the bright side, you can spend time in his apartment. 

**Akira** : Good idea. 

**Akira** : Now, on a more serious note, you know I would never reveal our secret to him, 

**Akira** : But I have an idea on how to corner him 

**Yusuke** : Please enlighten us 

**Akira** : So here’s the thing… 

* * *

The raven locked his phone, placed it on the wooden shelf next to his head and laid down on the bed. Morgana jumped on it and sat down on his stomach, his blue eyes staring into his soul. It made Akira uncomfortable that he’s sweating from his cheeks. 

“As much as I want to prevent this from happening, I can’t control what you like or dislike…” opened Morgana. His tail flowed as it lifted from the bed. “I hate Akechi because I can’t trust him, but I know you love him. Whatever you do, I hope you are happy, Akira.” 

Akira was starting to question whether his decision to link himself to Goro was the right move. He gulped and said, “thank you Morgana. I appreciate that.” 

“Now, for the real talk.” He hopped off his stomach and sat next to Akira’s head. The place where he just left was fading warmth. Akira looked at him from the corner of his eyes. 

“My nightmare is still there, but it wasn’t as intense, maybe because I have someone to talk to now.” 

Akira’s eyes widened. He almost forgot about the problem. “You want to talk about it?” 

“I don’t know…” The cat’s whiskers twitched. He looked away, eyes slowly blinking. “I really don’t know the context of my dream but… There was me with golden eyes…” He looked down, seemingly reluctant to telling more. “…In Mementos.” 

The raven sat upright, staring into Morgana. “Is that your origin? You always said that you feel connected to Mementos somehow.” 

“That’s why I said, I don’t know.” Morgana shifted his gaze back to Akira. “There’s a lot of things I don’t know, like how I come to exist, and what’s the purpose of my life.” He shut his eyes and grimaced at the thought. “A life with an unknown purpose is empty, ya know?” 

Akira exhaled softly, sympathizing Morgana and his existential crisis. His hand went to pat Morgana’s head. 

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out together, okay? For now, stay with us. We need you in our team.” 

The cat’s eyes glistened. “Really?” 

“Yeah. What are the Phantom Thieves without our mascot?” Akira gave him a carefree smile. They chuckled together and decided it’s best to go to bed for now. As they cuddled in the night, Morgana’s nightmare was chased away by Akira’s protective arms. 

* * *

As they traveled in the last of Okumura’s Palace, Akira felt stabbing sensations in his navel. He ignored the pain as they focused on each Shadow they met. Nobody seem to notice him growing weaker as he used more magic than physical attacks. Inwardly, he thanked Arsene for his magic affinity. 

It worked for a while. 

Until they found the treasure, and found Okumura, the blue alien himself, the pain came back with a vengeance. Akira turned pale in fighting the pain from within, and Makoto kept trying to cleanse whatever was poisoning him, but it didn’t work. 

They managed to defeat Okumura in the end – it’s really just taking down his hundreds of robot employees, not him – Akira can take a breather. The palace was shaking as Okumura’s resolve began to crumble and had a change of heart. 

“Everyone, RUN!” 

Upon Morgana’s prompt, they started running. Before they could leave the boss room, Akira stumbled on his own feet, groaning as the pain throbbed in his hips. He was sweating like he just ran a marathon. The rest of the Phantom Thieves hadn’t seem to notice that Akira was left behind. As the whole palace shook with a loud roar from a distance, Akira sat down, his legs unable to move. 

So this is how he dies. 

His vision turned black and the floor beneath him disintegrated. 

* * *

He woke up and saw a familiar ceiling above him. Familiar, but not his attic. Quickly, he sat up and regretted it instantly as the cramp came back. He curled on his bed, whimpering at the uncontrollable pain. A tear rolled down as he bit his lips. 

What is this pain? 

He tried to recall any ailments he suffered in the Metaverse, both Mementos and Palaces, but none of them warranted this kind of sickness before. He controlled his sob, forehead wrinkling as to battle the pain and remembering his activities. 

The door behind him opened. The light from outside spilled into the dark room. That’s when he realized it was night outside. Footsteps headed towards him and sat beside him on the bed. 

“Are you feeling better now?” 

That’s when it hit him. This was Goro’s house. That was Goro’s ceiling. _This was Goro’s bed._

He shook his head, zipping his mouth to counter the whimpering in his head. He didn’t want to be seen as weak in front of Goro. 

The man stood up and switched on the lights, only to see red eyes on Akira, wetness on his cheek and pale of a skin on his boyfriend. He casted a worried look as he dove beside Akira once again and took out some meds from his pocket. “We’ll get that checked soon. Hope this helps. It’s analgesics.” 

“…Anal what?” 

Goro coughed, turning red. “That’s another word for painkillers, Akira.” 

Oh, what a funny word for medicine. With shaky hands, he took it off Goro’s hands and swallowed two pills, then gulped them down with a swig of water. After it went down, he rested his head on Goro’s shoulder. The sweat finally drying out after he tried to even his breath. A pat came from behind his head. 

“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” 

He shook his head. “I don’t know… It’s coming from—“ 

The womb. There’s no way in hell he’s going to tell Goro that. He hadn’t told Goro about his gender. Slowly, he formed a grip on the blanket. He wanted to just get it over with and tell Goro everything because _he’s suffering so much right now_. The painkillers were taking their sweet-ass time. 

“Coming from where?” 

He grabbed one of Goro’s hands and placed it above his navel. The brunette gasped, but slowly recovered from his surprise. 

“So uh…” He wet his lips once. “Intestines?” 

_Close enough, darling_. For the sake of ending the questions there, Akira nodded. His head still leaning on his boyfriend’s shoulder. From his view, he saw Goro’s Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he gulped, trying to restrain himself from the overwhelming scent coming from him. 

Oh shit. 

He ran out of scent blockers. Because scents don’t work as wildly in the Metaverse, he doesn’t bother with it. However, if he knew his uterus was going to act naughty like this, he’d definitely never coming out of his attic. 

In Goro’s hold, Akira was nervous. He knew Goro would never do such a thing to a defenseless Omega. 

The brunette ducked down and nosed underneath his jaw. His hands were connected with Akira’s. He breathed in Akira’s sweet scent into his nostrils. 

Akira’s heart nearly burst. The pain was slowly fading away. 

At the wet touch of Goro’s lips, he flinched, scared of what Goro might do to him. 

Suddenly, his lapping of lips turned into a lick. The presence of tongue made Akira jerk away from Goro, but he can only go so far as his hands were still in Goro’s grip. 

“Don’t worry,” whispered Goro, coming closer again. “I won’t mark you yet, Akira.” 

The man stood up after kissing his temple, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. On the bed, underneath the disheveled blanket, Akira stared into the distance. 

_He’s busted, isn’t he?_

* * *

Akira stayed in the room until Goro knocked on the door. “Dinner,” said him simply. Akira opened the door and a wave of fresh tulip smell hit Goro in the face, it made him stop breathing for a second. He blinked a few times, just standing at the door. 

“Are you coming in or what?” Akira’s ask snapped him out of his trance. He walked in and placed a bag of Big Bang Burger near the table. 

Upon seeing the name, Akira realized something. 

“Where did you find me?” 

They sat beside each other on the bed. The mattress was still warm as Akira never really left it for a long time. “On the back alleys of Big Bang Corporation.” 

Goro’s answer didn’t convince him. “Stop lying to me.” 

“I’m not lyin--” 

“Then look at me in the eyes and say that again.” 

Goro turned his head to stare into Akira’s grey pupils, only to be silenced by it. Akira shifted his gaze away with a sigh. 

“Now answer me honestly, okay? I won’t judge you.” 

“You never do judge people, don’t you?” mumbled Goro. A sad smile across his face. “That’s why you are involved with the likes of me.” 

The raven scooted closer to Goro and touched his hand. “I don’t know why you’re talking like that but I know every human makes mistakes. Don’t hold yourself accountable for a mistake you can never correct, but focus on redeeming yourself and be a better person than your past self.” 

The hunched pose of Goro made Akira wanted to comfort the poor guy, wrap him in a blanket and feed him pancakes. Instead, he settled with a half-hug to him. Perhaps he would appreciate the gesture. 

“Still, answer me.” His voice sound muffled in the hug. “Where did you find me, Goro?” 

Their eyes met again, this time Akira’s showed more intensity. He can feel Goro’s heartbeat under his shirt. 

“Okumura’s dungeon.” 

Akira’s heart nearly stopped. 

“You were lying on the floor when I was about to run. I can’t just leave you there. If I do, I’d just be the same as Shid—“ 

“Goro, dear, calm down.” He placed a palm above Goro’s chest. He watched as the brunette breathed in and out, slowly. “Okay, if I understand this correctly, you were in the Metaverse?” 

The man nodded. 

“You have Metaverse Navigation?” 

A nod again. 

“And… Persona?” 

Hesistance, but then another nod. 

Akira had to take some time to calm himself down and simultaneously, Goro too. He hugged him closer, asking the last question. 

“Is your outfit…black?” 

In the hug, he heard a soft hum. The breath tickled his shoulder. Akira felt the hair on his neck stood. 

This was their stalker in Okumura’s Palace. The one who caused mental shutdowns, according to Kaneshiro. A _murderer_. 

“What were you doing there, if I may ask?” He had to make sure. 

The comfortable snuggle came to a halt. Goro’s body turned rigid at his question. “Boss’ orders. I’m just there to… finish the work.” 

“Did you do as he said?” 

A silence. Then he responded, “technically, yes.” 

“Technically?” Akira tried to find Goro’s dark red orbs and found it staring outside. His sinewy hands still wrapped around Akira, unwilling to let go. “What is the order?” 

“To get Kunikazu Okumura out of his way,” said him, blankly, as if too jaded to feel guilty anymore. “To get rid of him if necessary.” 

His scent must’ve turned cold and nervous because Goro was looking at him as if he figured it out. 

“You don’t have to force yourself to be with me, Akira. I am a dangerous man, after all.” 

Akira wondered how many times Goro had repeated that in the past because he seem to be used to people leaving him. 

“You killed Okumura?” 

Fortunately, the brunette shook his head. “I stopped myself from shooting him in the face because I heard a noise outside of the room.” He distanced himself from Akira slightly to give space to talk. “I did warn him to hide himself from Shido because he wanted Japan all to himself. If Okumura stayed in his business, he’s going to die a more horrible death than this.” 

Akira threw all his judgment away to take in this rare moment of Goro opening himself to him. He rubbed the brunette’s arm and egged him to keep talking. 

“After that, I don’t really have much time. Besides, he’s bound to follow what I say under a gunpoint. I ran outside just to see you in front of a rather large crack, waiting for you to slip into the crumbles down there.” 

So that’s how he was found. 

“I grabbed you before you could fall.” 

He was saved by Goro, _again_. He really is the damsel in distress in this story, isn’t he? He exhaled softly, eyes slowly blinking and his body stayed in Goro’s reach, unmoving. At this moment, he started to trust Goro. “Thank you so much for saving me.” He went and hugged Goro for the second time. At least, someone is more dependable than his own organ who betrayed him at the worst possible time. 

However, Goro isn’t responding to his hug. “You should be afraid of me, Akira,” said him simply. 

“… I decided not to.” 

“Stupid. I’m a serial killer.” 

“True.” As Akira loosened the hug, he looked Goro straight in his eyes. “Do you want to stop?” 

“I can’t.” He shook his head. “I can’t and won’t stop until Shido knows about what he’s done.” 

The raven narrowed his eyes at Goro. “Who is this Shido you kept mentioning?” 

“My boss. The one who prompted me into this whole murdering business.” Goro looked back at him. “Shido Masayoshi, the famous politician.” 

Honestly, he was quite surprised. “The baldie?” And he gestured on his chin. 

Goro snorted. “Yes, the baldie with goatee.” 

He never thought of someone who looked so charismatic can be so evil. He made a mental note to never believe what that person preached about. But that Shido reminded him of something… 

Of that night. Akira shuddered at the thought. 

“Oh, on another note, I will be attending your school as a guest for the festival.” 

* * *

He can tell Akira about his secret on having a Persona, but it didn’t occur to him to tell Akira about coming to Shujin for the school festival? Goro really needed to set his priorities straight. 

The whole school was bustling with both students and teachers to prepare for the upcoming festival. As the balloons hang up the walls and ceiling, the halls echoing with students’ discussion and shouting, the pavement busy with pamphlets and posters strewn all over; Shujin seemed very lively despite all the bad news they had received for the year. 

The day of the festival came and it was a big hit for them. Shujin was mentioned in the news for quite some time. It was given that a lot of people dropped by to see what the school’s on about. 

Akira’s class decided to make takoyaki for their activity. As mundane as it sounds, it only meant that they don’t have to think twice upon making a takoyaki stand in their classroom. When Akira’s shift ended, he took off his work outfit and changed into a school uniform. Ryuji’s banter with Ann was heard from outside. They’re ready for the gathering in the big hall. 

The small group of Phantom Thieves, minus Makoto, was standing at the second floor, watching as Makoto arranged the ceremony with ease. 

“Now, we will call up our guest for the day, Detective Akechi Goro!” 

The hall was booming with girls’ screaming in an instant, Akira and Ryuji had to cover his ears. Meanwhile, Yusuke and Ann were starstruck upon seeing Goro walking up the stage with his TV smile plastered. 

Futaba, who was leaning on the railings, mumbled, “I can’t believe that’s the same person who kept coming to Leblanc. He looks like a whole different person up there.” 

Akira stared into Goro as the man smiled at the crowd, who were screaming in frenzy until Makoto told them to calm down or the session with Goro will end. They were immediately tamed by her orders. 

Gosh, Makoto is such a Queen. Akira didn’t dare to think if Makoto were born Alpha, because she should. 

The Q&A went smoothly; both Makoto and Goro were professional during the talk. But it didn’t take the smartest person to see that they were having some sort of rivalry underneath the polite words they arranged. It’s probably a smart student thing. 

“Because of popular demands, we have chosen some questions from the crowd to be addressed to you,” said Makoto. The student council vice president walked next to her and placed a few flashcards in her palm. “The first question is…” Upon reading the question, she sighed. “What kind of skincare routine do you use?” 

Goro laughed, prim and proper like a prince. “You’re pulling the secrets out of me, I don’t think I can handle this.” He turned towards the crowd and winked playfully. 

Ryuji wanted to barf. 

So he went on and on about his moisturizer, night creams and the brand Akira had never once heard in his lifetime. Who would’ve thought an Alpha could be this elaborate on a mostly Omegan thing? Goro would make a great Omega. On the other hand, he would make a greater partner for an Omega. 

“Next question, before Akechi-san continues on his brand new commercial until dusk.” A wave of chuckle came from the students. “Do you have a significant other/partner?” Makoto’s eyes twinkle as she looked back at Goro, who was flustering on the stage. “Oh my, how direct,” uttered him as his face were colored red by a tad. 

The crowd seemed unhappy about this, however, judging from the atmosphere Akira was smelling. 

“I do have someone I like, as a matter of fact.” 

A nudge was felt on Akira’s shoulder. 

“Said person also attends Shujin, as another matter of fact.” 

Another nudge, and Akira thought his face was burning. 

“Oh my God, you’re so red, Akira,” said Futaba. 

“Shut up.” 

The murmur told Akira all he needed to know about the society. They weren’t happy that Goro has someone and it destroyed their image that the Alpha was available for the snatching, which was why Goro suggested that they keep Akira’s identity a secret. 

“Alright, last question, seems we’re running out of time.” 

A nod from Goro, and Makoto proceed with her ask. 

“You have been investigating the Phantom Thieves since the start of their crimes. What is the progress on that investigation?” 

The noise died down as Goro’s face turned somber. “I will try to cut my answer short since, as you said, we’re running out of time.” He fixed his stand and crossed his hands over the chest. “Their crimes will be deemed outrageous by some people who don’t succumb to supernatural matters as a solution. Their explanation will never make sense as long as you don’t open your mind to possibilities. The stealing of hearts was probably a metaphor, or was being made in a literal sense, as their work was still a mystery to us. But according to all the victims and criminals who had a change of hearts, I seem to have a clue on who the members are.” 

He glanced at the silent crowd. 

“Some of them attends Shujin.” 

Gasps littered the crowd. Ryuji and Haru glared at Goro’s figure down at the stage, and Akira gulped. 

“I can reveal their identities—“ An alarm rang from behind the stage. “—But it looks like we’ve no time for that now. This session has ended, correct, Miss President?” Goro’s smile grew sinister in Makoto’s eyes. “Yes. Our session is now over. Thank you, Akechi Goro-san for attending our school as a guest! Everyone, please give him a round of applause.” 

* * *

It looked like his little group of Phantom Thieves were cornering Goro in that room, but really _it’s not what it looks like._

“You better shut up about the Phantom Thieves. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Ryuji venomously. 

_It’s really not how it looks like._

“Am I? It looks to me that you guys were driven over the edge by a simple mention of Phantom Thieves are criminals. You guys rat yourselves out, if I’m allowed to say that,” retorted Goro with a fond smile. 

The room seemed smaller than Akira remembered it to be. Was it because he now realized how bad it was to clump all of them with Goro in the same room? 

“ **We are not criminals** ,” uttered Yusuke, seething anger through his teeth. “We’ve changed their hearts for the better. Would you rather see them continue destroying lives?” 

“I would rather see them being judged fairly in the eyes of the people who were trained to do so.” Goro’s smile was gone. “You weren’t supposed to force your wills onto people who aren’t willing to change. That’s called a breach of privacy.” 

“Fuck your laws, man!” burst Ryuji. “They were _killing_ people! Shiho almost died! Ann almost get raped! Yusuke was abused! Makoto got a death sentence and Haru…!” The blond gritted his teeth. He was shaking in fury. “Haru was sold off by her own father, okay?! Don’t tell me the Phantom Thieves are wrong, even though Okumura is now missing. That’s not our fault, alright?!” 

Haru held Ryuji and secreted her comforting scent to calm the blond Alpha down. 

“Ryuji has a point,” added Akira. “We thought it was time for us to step in before everything was too late. Cops aren’t at fault though. Without hard evidence, you guys weren’t allowed to take actions unless warranted by your superiors, right?” 

The brunette nodded. 

“That’s why it’s important for us to exist. We don’t want to waste another life just to prove a point.” He pushed the glasses up his nose as his steely grey eyes looked at Goro’s dark red orbs, emitting his resolve. 

They stared into each other for quite a while until the others grew uncomfortable with it. 

Goro was the one who looked away first, with a defeated smile. “I have to say, I’ve never met an Omega who’s like you.” He gave another glance to Akira. “Such petite of a presence, but held a stronghold beneath it.” 

If his heart didn’t swell at Goro’s compliment… 

“I want to meet you guys here for a reason.” The detective leaned back on the desk, his arms crossing his chest. “In exchange for me keeping silent about your identities, I want you to investigate someone’s heart for me.” 

Oh dear, this sounds utterly familiar… 

“I don’t want it to be a one-way deal,” weaved in Akira, holding up his index finger, stopping Goro. “We can investigate that person, only if they have a Palace or appears in Mementos, _and_ if you agree…” 

Akira’s eyes ogled the curious wine red eyes, waiting for him to finish. He smirked, mirthful, at Goro’s eagerness. 

“…To join us, the Phantom Thieves.” 

The red eyes grew wide in surprise. 

“What do you say, detective?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, I love cliffhangers.  
> Somehow, the combination of Goro and casino makes my heart weak.


	15. Gold Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira observes as things unfold in front of him, and how Goro is fitting into his group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made a vague plan to update this every Tuesday. Not gonna promise anything though. I will try because I myself wants to see how this will go :D

“Did you follow my instructions for the suppressant?” 

Akira can feel the sweat between his eyebrows rolling down. He gulped, nervous with guilt. 

“Uhm…” He looked away. “Yes.” 

“Your lie is as obvious as a child.” Tae leaned back with a sharp glare at Akira. Her crossing legs never seemed so intimidating. The heels probably had seen their fair share of blood. “If you follow as I said, your innards won’t be rebelling like it’s about to give birth.” 

Akira definitely wouldn’t dare to think of when he’s going to give birth in the future. How about never. 

“But if I don’t take the pills, my heat will be very hard to endure,” responded him. “Besides, I never get two heats in a year except for when I first got it.” 

“That’s why I asked you to take it _only during heats_ ,” warned her voice, low. “It could disturb your hormones and mating cycles. At this rate, you’d not only get two heats in a year, but get minor heats or uncontrollable scents no matter how many scent blockers you wear. I’m sure that’s the worst scenario possible for you, right, guinea pig?” 

Wow, she uttered a sentence longer than ten words. Tae must be utterly worried and angry. 

Akira lowered his gaze, admitting his mistake. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” 

“It better not be. Don’t make me reconsider you as my experimental man.” 

Tae’s big fat salary was probably one of the things Akira would hate to miss. “Yes, I swear.” 

“Good.” She exhaled a big sigh. “Even though we can put this past us, your body still needs to stabilize itself. It will take some time for your hormones to go back to normal.” 

His grey eyes shot back up to Tae. “What…does that mean?” 

“You will have to be more careful around Alphas. Your body is in constant danger of being mated. Do not succumb to those calling for now. It will be bad for you.” 

* * *

Akira was truly on wit’s end when he was pushed from various directions. The people were enraged that Okumura Kunikazu was missing; employees were quitting in a bundle, the business was dropping, and bad rumors about the Phantom Thieves everywhere, just because their calling card was broadcasted a day before him going missing. Their hiking popularity crashed down to almost nil. Akira can only watch as Haru struggled in everyday life with the media kept chasing after her for good juicy news. 

In the meantime, Ryuji and Goro seemed to brush on each other’s fur quite often – not that he didn’t notice it in the first place – and Haru, the poor girl, was trying her hardest to cope with her father’s disappearance. She’s searching every nook and cranny of Japan to trace him and it was all in vain. It’s like he vanished into the Metaverse and never coming back out. 

The girls, sweet as they all are, tried to distract her by inviting her along everytime they went out shopping or hanging out at a new café. Needless to say, Haru was still unwavered by the wonderful coffees out there; her favourite is still Leblanc because of Akira and Sojiro’s touch. 

In a way, the raven was nervous that a fight would break out everytime they have a meeting. At one point of their gathering, Akira could’ve sworn he saw electric sparks from Ryuji and Haru to Goro, but they managed to look away before it escalated into something worse. 

Goro was not helping either. He kept standing on his ground that the Phantom Thieves are criminals (even though he is one now), plus with their deal that the group must be disbanded once this Palace is over. He was curious as to how they work in the Metaverse; his eyes shimmered everytime Akira acquired a new Persona, and posed like a child after an all-out attack with the team. 

Doesn’t matter how many trips to Mementos they took, Goro didn’t seem to belong… and Akira wondered why. 

Hence, he observed some of their conversations while Makoto was driving in Mementos. The dark red and purplish tunnel seem to grow more and more eerie. He hated to know what’s the nagging feeling clawing from under his skin, as if something bad was waiting at the very end of the tunnel. He brushed it aside, like how Morgana usually does. 

The conversations were casual at best; Ryuji wants curry, Yusuke and his poems, Morgana with his obsessions with Ann, and the girl kept complaining about how bumpy the trip was. The other boys definitely have no complaints about it. Futaba, Haru and Makoto also seemed to have a say in their own interests— 

Except for Goro. 

Goro barely talked in the group. Even in a casual chat, he described the atmosphere as intimidating and suffocating, the news about mental shutdowns (COUGHS), the fun and hilarity in skewing the cops’ attention from the Phantom Thieves while being one himself. _It was never about him._

He wore a mask he never took off, and Akira was concerned. 

* * *

A simple preview of Sae’s casino mesmerized the whole group except Goro and Makoto, who had seen it before. It was like Las Vegas at night. Neon signs shining into their retinas, chandelier glittering through their leather outfits, bold colorful shades on the casino equipments. Everything was so lively, fast-paced, _dangerous_. 

It didn’t take a whole five minutes into their sneaking when Sae herself showed up in front of them, challenging to aim for the highest floor of the building where she resided. After a snap of her finger, she and her guardians teleported into an elevator. 

Wow, what a power move. Akira had only been dreaming of doing that since he was a child. 

“No, Akira, it won’t work.” 

Akira stared at Goro, dumbfounded. “What?” 

“You won’t teleport with a snap of your finger like her.” 

He raised a brow. “I wasn’t going to do it.” 

“Then why are your fingers positioned like that?” 

Akira hid his gloved hands in his pockets. “You’re imagining things.” 

A snicker came from his boyfriend, trying to cover his chuckling mouth before he poked his hand on the mask. “Ow.” 

Now Akira was snickering. “Serves you right, mosquito.” 

Goro gasped. “Mosquito?” 

“Yeah,” interrupted Futaba. “Your mask reminds me of that insect.” 

The brunette seemed a tad hurt by it, but it’s most probably a fake reaction. 

“I agree. Why Crow when you can be Mosquito?” asked Ann. 

“Mosquito isn’t a good name, to start with.” 

“You’re right,” said Haru. “I was about to suggest a fly but I think it will undermine your presence some more.” 

“It’s very outlandish too. I too want to know why Crow,” said Makoto. 

“Crows are intelligent, okay?” answered Akira. “They learn how to adapt quickly. They recognize faces. They remember methods and instructions. In a way, they are almost…human.” 

“Except they’re avians,” added Goro with a smile. 

“Right, human in avian’s body.” Something occurred in Akira’s mind and he kept his mouth shut. 

_A sense of not belonging in one’s own body._

“So what do we do with Sae’s challenge?” Yusuke’s question brought them all back to their current predicament. 

“We accept the challenge, for sure!” said Ryuji as he fistpumped in the air. 

“Not quite,” cut Goro. “This is her Palace. In a way, it was constructed and conditioned for her to win every single time. If we want to win the challenges, we need to find a way to rig the game.” 

They were puzzled by his words. “How?” 

“We’ll find a way.” He targeted back his eyes at everyone’s direction. His gaze full of determination. “If we look around and observe, we might be able to come up with something.” 

* * *

As the group dispersed to find a clue while the others acted as decoys, playing games on the machine, Akira pulled Goro aside. They arrived at a fairly isolated corner, hiding from everyone’s sight. 

“Oh my, Akira, really? In a Palace?” Goro smirked meaningfully. 

Akira smacked his arm. “Not now.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Goro sharply. “You said your outfit was black. What is this?” 

It seemed like Goro finally realized that his outfit was different. He scanned himself and looked back to his boyfriend. “I don’t know how to explain…” 

“Were you lying to me?” 

“No!” 

“Then?” 

Goro sighed. “I haven’t told you about my ability to have two Personas.” 

“Are you a wildcard like me?” 

“A wildcard?” 

Akira nodded. “The ability to adopt multiple Personas in you.” 

“Well…” He thought for a second. “I can’t say I am one, since I only have two and been using them ever since. I never tried to take in more Personas though.” He shifted his gaze back to Akira. “Wouldn’t it be a mess if you have more than two Personas? I know I’d be disorganized.” 

_Oh babe, you don’t know the half of it._ “Saying it a mess is quite an understatement. It felt like a classroom once the teacher left…” 

Akira looked into the distance. Once there was a fight between Kelpie and Hua-Po and the others cheered in his head. He had to actually stop walking and shut them up before he snapped in the real world. 

“So you’re not a wildcard?” 

Goro shook his head. “I don’t believe so. Even if I am, I have no intention of using it.” 

“But it’s granted to you for a reason…” 

“I don’t deserve that luxury, Akira.” His gaze shone with the gold light from chandelier. “With these two Personas, I have murdered people. Do you want to imagine if I have a lot more?” 

Akira’s hid his shivering hand in his pocket. He’s eternally grateful that Goro still held a pinch of conscience in his wake, even with blood in his hands. He sighed and looked away. “I’m sorry for asking. Let’s go get Sae.” 

Before he could walk away, Goro grabbed his arm and yanked it towards him. 

“What?” asked him, astonished. 

Goro lifted his mask and kissed his cheek. Without a word, he stared into Akira’s grey eyes for a long moment. And Akira stared back. 

It felt like the world was theirs. 

Once they blinked, they gradually distanced themselves, careful not to be overly touchy in front of the others. Akira stepped back, only after he replied Goro’s kiss. He pulled back with a smile. “My place after this?” 

Goro slowly shook his head, smiling and chuckling. “I should be concerned that you still love me despite all that… How do you function?” 

“I pay my taxes one leg at a time.” 

“You’re a student, babe.” 

Akira clicked his tongue. “We should go before they search for us.” He fixated his gaze on Goro as he turned. “And before I do more than kiss here.” A wink was delivered to the brunette. Goro’s blush can match the red of his eyes and it made Akira laughed. 

* * *

“Aki,” called Ryuji once they were out of Sae’s Palace, leaving it to be traversed for another day. 

“Hmm?” 

“Arcade?” 

Akira looked at Goro who was waiting not far from where they stood. “Uh… I have plans with Goro already. Sorry.” 

He knew it’s been a while since he hung out with Ryuji and it saddened him that they haven’t spent much time together lately. 

“Yeah, figures. Sorry I asked.” 

“Wait, Ryuji.” He called the blond before he walked away. “Call me or anything. I have time tomorrow so we can go running together.” 

Ryuji smiled, weak. It hurt Akira to see him like this. “Nah, it’s okay man. I’ll make sure to hit you up once I got plans.” He waved at the raven and resumed his walking. Akira watched as his best friend walked away, bleakly. He wondered what Ryuji was up to these days. Back then, he told everything to Akira, even when he’s going to poop for ten minutes. They almost can’t be separated. 

The wind blew his bangs away from his nose, soft and mellow. The leftover rays from sunset were coloring the sky with hues of bright orange with dirty blue; two mismatched colors that somehow looked great together. Akira wished that some people would love him being with Goro like how they love seeing that sunset sky. 

“Ready to leave, Akira?” 

Akira was more than ready to just stand there and stare at the sky because of how calming it was. “Yeah,” whispered him softly. They walked together to Leblanc, hands connected and hearts chained to each other. 

This was his fate. He have to make it work or it’ll turn into shambles in his grip. 

As they walked, their scent mixed and infuse the air with soft waves of wooden musk and tulip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though it was widely believed that Goro is a wildcard, I don't dare to play around the idea of him starting to take in a lot of masks. In this fic at least. He might accept the idea, but he literally won't care. Goro just wants to get things over with and he's survived with just two Personas until now, why would he need more all of a sudden? 
> 
> Also, the fact that his strength is MAX, like Yusuke, made me fall in love more. You go, my buff boy.


	16. Un-toxicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changes happen in Akira.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tuesday means: an update! Oh hey look. I followed my schedule! Wow ._. We shall celebrate this with a swig of Sarsaparilla juice. 
> 
> Keep in mind that Iwai will always be an Alpha. That's not even up for discussion lol.

The price of crossing the bridge to Sae’s treasure room was 100,000 coins. A few games were played. Cheating was inevitable, and Crow was intelligent enough to reflect the game back to them. In regards to that, he had somehow managed to drag Skull with him to obtain lots of coins. That must’ve meant they were getting closer. 

They stumbled upon a safe room nearby after reaching the highest floor. Mona and Queen took a look around, only to come back running into the safe room like being chased after ghost. 

“Guys!” 

They all perked up at Queen’s call. 

“We can cross that bridge by just winning one game!” 

No way. Joker stood up and asked, “what did you find?” 

“The battle arena next to this safe room.” She pointed the direction of the place. “The guy at the counter said entry fee is 10,000 coins.” 

Panther winced at the price. “We painstakingly collected those…” 

“But if we win, the prize will be exactly 100,000! Ten times of what we have now!” said her in excitement. 

“Then let’s waste no time in getting in!” 

* * *

“What? It’s a one-on-one battle?!” shouted Oracle. 

“We all thought this was gonna be easy…” Panther sighed in despair. 

“Am I the only one who thought there must be a catch?” voiced Crow. 

They all looked at him, eyes wide and shell-shocked. 

“You all are so naïve,” replied the brunette. “There’s no easy way of getting a lot of money without a dangerous shortcut. For us to gain ten times the amount we have, I thought something have to be sacrificed.” 

Mona snarled. “ _Well, thank God we have you in our team._ ” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Crow cheerfully. 

“So are we participating…?” asked Fox, confused. 

“If we are going in, I volunteer.” Skull stepped forward. “The arena is meant for Alphas anyway.” 

“If it’s Alpha,” Queen interjected, “wouldn’t it be appropriate for Crow to go instead? He is able to think under stress after all.” 

“I disagree.” Panther stepped forward. “In fights, sometimes all you have to do is go feral. Alphas are appropriate because they can overwhelm their opponent with their strong scent. They are battling about who’s a more powerful Alpha.” 

“But what would we do if the opponent was immune to Holy, Fire and Lightning?” 

The three Alphas were silenced by it. 

“Therefore, I suggest—“ 

“—That I’ll be the one to enter the arena.” Joker went ahead and registered his name, and walked straight into the cage without waiting. They were all stunned by his decision before it occurred to them that _an Omega just walked in_. 

“Joker, WAIT!” 

They were too late. Joker was already inside. The announcer, filled with condescension right off the bat, cheerfully shouted to the waiting audience that a challenger has arrived. The rest of the Phantom Thieves wasted no time in running towards the stands, watching as their leader forming a battle stance, confident in whatever he’s about to face. 

The opponent appeared. 

…Or _opponents_ , to put it appropriately. 

“What the eff?! This isn’t one-on-one battle!” yelled Skull at the stands. 

“They ignored their rule right from the start!” 

Beside Skull, Crow was seething in anger. He bit his lips as he watched Joker fighting the Psychaderms with ease. “If they lay a finger on you…” 

Thank goodness, Joker was good in adapting to various elemental fights, to pick up the slacks on his physical attacks. He unleashed a few non-elemental moves on the blue elephants and he won after several hits. 

“What in the world?! How is he still alive? Alright, I change my mind. You’re better than I thought, Phantom Dweeb. Prepare for the second round.” 

Three Rangdas appear and the Phantom Thieves gasped. 

“That’s **three!** Man, this is cheating!” 

“Joker…” 

“One-on-one, my ass! Joker, please be safe!” 

“They are immune to physical attacks. We can be rest assured,” confirmed Crow. “If there’s anything Joker’s good at, it’s his magic.” 

As if on cue, Joker pulled a team-wide Holy attack and the Shadows dispersed into thin air. 

“Okay, now you have pissed me off. I bet money on this, you know?” rang the announcer. “We’re going to do this my way. Bring in the most savage of all. I want him to be killed!” The crowd gave a deafening cheer. It’s terrifying to witness this amount of people demanding for blood to be spilled. 

Thor manifested into the arena, towering over Joker. His shadow loomed over him. Joker hid his gulp. This one isn’t going to be as easy. 

“Fucker!” Crow punched the glass partition, but the glass was left unscratched by his hit. “What a fool I was to let him inside.” 

“Please don’t tell me this Shadow has high physical damage…” whimpered Noir. 

Crow gripped his fist tight. His eyes glow dimly with regret. He nodded. 

“Oh no,” mumbled Noir. 

While they were all focused on Crow, a slam on the window brought them all back to the game. 

In the arena, Joker was being thrown around like a rag doll. His blood splattered as Thor smacked him square in the face with yet another punch. When it all seemed to die down, Joker was picked up again to be smashed like a trash. 

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” said Skull. His fangs started to show. Panther held Skull’s shoulder, her grip tightening, trying to calm herself down. 

“Have faith in our leader,” said her. 

“But he’s dying!” pointed him out. “And he’s an Omega! Don’t freaking tell me that when we’re supposed to protect them in the first place!” 

Queen and Noir almost cried at the savagery unfolding in front of their eyes. Joker’s blood colored their vision as they tried to hide it with their hands. Oracle bit her lips until it was raw. Morgana closed his eyes, praying for something to happen, or someone to suggest a way out. Panther cried angry tears while Ryuji was yelling for the announcer to stop the battle. Yusuke was silently fuming, gripping his katana like it was his lifeline. Crow was borderline turning psychopathic, his breath ragged under the shining glare he emitted. 

From the arena, Joker can barely see his teammate looking at him, all of them given up in seeing him winning this. There was no way he can top Thor’s strength. 

_Ahh….fuck. Is this the end?_

He felt like he lost a limb from that last throw. He probably shouldn’t have been so rash. What has that gotten him into? A probation? A death threat? A fight he can’t win? 

The punch from Thor made Akira spew blood from his lips. His legs shiver and he knelt on the ground, panting for air. He shivered at the pain. His ribs might be cracked and shattered inside. 

_Fucking hell…_

Perks of being an Omega. He has an affinity towards magical prowess rather than strength, and look where he ended up. Dying in the hands of a mere Shadow. He felt his dignity was being stomped over multiple times… And he can’t afford that. 

_Who do you think I am?_

A surge of strength came from within, and Joker stood with vigor. His eyes was now bright gold, his expression died. He looked at Thor with a pair of determined eyes, ready to ravage whatever was in his path. 

A fast swing came from Thor and he dodged with his high agility. The Phantom Thieves gasped as they didn’t expect their leader to still be able to move. Blood smeared on Thor’s arms as he snaked around it to arrive closer at the Shadow’s face. With haste, he pulled out his dagger and stabbed Thor’s eyes. 

When the titan flailed around in pain, he backflipped onto the ground, his mouth grinning a maniacal smile. With a wobble, he stood back up, then running towards Thor again to pierce the back of his knees. 

_Getting a little cocky, aren’t you now, my dear Thor?_

Another puncture on Thor’s backbone and the Shadow was kneeling on the ground, panting, holding his hammer like a cane. It’s sad how aged he look now as compared to the beginning of the fight. 

_We hold our strength in our compassion? HAH._

Joker and Thor now were seeing eye-to-eye. Joker’s smile was still on his face. Blood continued to drip from his forehead. He held his dagger high. 

The swing cut Thor’s head clean. The crowd gasped in horror, so was the announcer. The poor Shadow burst into thick shadows and later turned into black mist. The group at the stands were calming down, shocked by their leader’s sudden unknown strength. Omegas aren’t supposed to have that much strength. 

What is he? 

* * *

Akira remember stumbling forward as soon as the gates to outside opened up. Two pairs of arms celebrated his victory, while another stole him away from them and lifted him off the ground with ease. A familiar shout told him they’re going to heal him in the safe room. He wasn’t exactly sure. The pain was throbbing in his whole body. He can barely lift a muscle. 

When he felt a comfortable surface underneath his body, his eyes were immediately lulled to sleep. He had lost so much blood, it’s hard for Queen and Morgana to replenish his health. He might have to go to Tae for some meds. Ah, damn. He’s going to get an earful again, isn’t he? The franticness of the room turned into murmurs, and soon, everything went silent. 

_Wait until he wakes up_ was the last thing he heard before dozing off. 

* * *

Akira woke up in his attic, feeling grumpy and annoyed. He grabbed a fistful of hair as his head throbbed in pain. The fatal injuries were mostly healed by Mona and Queen, but his mind was still stuck in that phase. It sent him frenzy on the bed. He can feel his insides getting uncomfortable and hot. Beside him, Morgana slowly woke up and looked at him, his mouth yawned and curled his tongue. The smelly fish breath wafted towards him. 

“Brush your goddamn teeth, cat.” He waved the air off with his hand. 

“’M not a cat…” mumbled Morgana as he went back to sleep. His tail stayed still, only waving slightly at the end. 

Akira snickered at Morgana’s attitude. Once a cat, always a cat. Oh wait, the same could be said about him. 

He picked up his phone and browsed through his phone in the dark. Messages from the Phantom Thieves flooded his phone and he decided to just read them for now. He read the messages from Goro and his heart skipped a beat. 

**Goro** : Text me once you are awake. 

**Goro** : I won’t be able to sleep knowing full well of the dangers in there 

**Goro** : And I still let you in. 

**Goro** : Please forgive me. 

**Goro** : I love you. 

Akira curled on his bed, hiding his face in his palm. He can feel warmth pooling in his chest. Is this what lovestruck is like? It feels so nice. He can’t exactly tell if it’s that or the side-effects from Tae’s medication. He hoped it wasn’t the latter. 

It didn’t take for one whole ring before Goro picked up, lightning fast. “Hello, Akira?” 

The raven smiled. “Hello.” 

A long and heavy sigh was heard from the other end. “Thank God you’re awake. I can’t get a wink of sleep.” 

Akira glanced on the clock in his attic. “Goro, it’s 4AM.” 

“Exactly.” 

Words can’t express how much he loves this man. 

“About that, may I have some complaints about your decision of jumping into matters without thinking firsthand?” asked Goro. Akira readies himself for a lecture. And he was right to do that. 

Goro ended up rambling about lots of biological terms of an Omega’s body, as compared to Alphas, and the risks of injury that would last a lifetime, an addition to some very sweetly woven sarcasm in his well-constructed sentences. Akira laughed at Goro’s worry. 

“Don’t laugh!” He interjected. “You could’ve died!” 

“Yeah.” Akira adjusted the blanket on his legs. “But I didn’t.” 

“You’re crazy.” 

Another laugh. “For you? Absolutely.” 

He heard a sigh from Goro and later, a small chuckle. “Alright, just because I laughed at that doesn’t mean we’re okay. I’m still mad at you, alright?” 

At 5 in the morning, the call ended. Akira made sure Goro went to bed satisfied, free of worry and at ease. God knows, that Alpha needs to take life less seriously sometimes. 

As he scrolled down, he saw a message from Iwai. He was needed at Untouchables tomorrow, and he made a mental note to drop by Iwai’s in the evening. 

* * *

The whole time he was cleaning the fake guns at the back room, Iwai’s eyes never left him. It made him nervous. He pushed up his glasses as it slid down his nose that was coated with sweat. He wiped his nose afterwards, only for him to sneeze at the dust collecting at the back room. 

Damn, the dust in here could choke a Jack Frost. He should do some sweeping afterwards. What would Iwai do without him? 

“Boy,” said the man not far from the counter. Akira lifted his head and met Iwai’s curious pair of eyes. 

“Yes?” 

“You…” He crunched on his lollipop some more before talking again. “You’re different today.” 

Akira had to raise an eyebrow at that. “What do you mean by that?” 

“No, I mean, you smell different from usual.” He shook his head and went back to inspecting the newest gun he got this morning. “Forget it. Maybe it’s just me.” 

With that, silence came back into the store until it’s time for Akira to complete his shift. He got his pay from the older man and went on his way out. Iwai watched his back until it was out of his store. He kept staring at the door for minutes. His teeth kept gritting on the empty lollipop stick, thinking. He huffed. 

“It’s not _different_.” He touched the end of his cap. “It’s absolutely… no scent.” It bothered him to no end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you hear that? That sound is me rubbing my palms together to create more problems for these children to go through.


	17. Bang: Reloaded (A rewrite)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interrogation Room scene occured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I promised, a rewrite! I divided the chapter into a few sections and expanded on each so it would be more well-explained! Hope you will enjoy this :)   
> Also, yeah, I'm alive. Yay :D

The battle with Sae was won with ease, all thanks to Goro’s intelligence in gambling and their combined effort as a team. The team surrounded Sae’s shadow that was sitting on the ground, defeated. 

“It has come to this, huh…” whispered the shadow. 

“Sister, we never wanted to do this,” said Queen. “We just want to show you the right way. Shoving innocent people to be accused of crime just to defend your dignity as an attorney… I won’t stand for such a thing, and I know your sense of justice would think the same too.” 

The shadow sat on the floor in silence. Her massive hat hid the gloom on her face and the grit of her teeth. A breath escaped her colored lips. 

“You’re… right. I’m sorry, Akechi, Makoto.” 

A smile decorated everyone’s faces as they lowered their guns. Before they could celebrate their success, a shake occurred from outside of the Palace. 

“The change of heart has occurred! Fox, did you take the treasure yet?!” yelled Morgana. 

“I got it!” Fox showed a grey briefcase containing the treasure. “Let’s make a run for it before we got crushed!” 

Without wasting anymore time, they sprinted out of the room, only to find swarms of guards have flooded the floor beneath them. 

“Shit!” cursed Skull. 

“At this rate, we’re never going to be able to escape…” said Noir, worried they might get caught at every corner. 

“We need to create a distraction,” suggested Oracle. 

“Yeah.” Joker snatched the briefcase off Fox’s grasp. “You guys go. They won’t go after you if you don’t have the treasure. Let me do it.” 

“Joker!” 

“For the last time…” breathed Fox. “Stop deciding all of this by yourself!” 

“Yeah! We’re doing all of this as a team!” 

“But we don’t have much of a choice, do we?” retaliated Joker. He gestured towards the hallways getting crowded with shadow guards. “I believe you guys can escape safely, so let me do it.” 

The rest of the Phantom Thieves glanced over Joker once, reluctant. 

“Please,” continued him. “As the last time being your leader, let me do the honor.” He delivered a confident smile towards them. “I’ll be fine.” 

The ground shook once more. “Let’s go, guys,” urged Crow. “We won’t achieve anything just standing around. Joker’s not going to change his mind anytime soon.” 

A nod from them was all Joker needed to run across the room to sweep the hallways off the guards. It left the area almost void of any dangers. Crow sighed, heavy. He wished he could replace Joker instead. 

* * *

“Okay, Joker, I’m going to direct you towards the entrance safely so you’ve gotta listen to my instructions carefully, alright?” voiced Oracle through the comms. Joker nodded. 

“Gotcha.” 

As Joker were trudging inside the Palace, avoiding the guards watching every nook and cranny of their usual route, chats were heard from the other Phantom Thieves. Mostly cursing from Ryuji. 

“That’s a lot of guards… I hope Joker will be fine…” 

“He will. I’ll make sure of it.” 

“Come on, this is Joker we’re talking about.” 

“Yeah, but still…” 

“Skull’s right. Have some faith in your leader.” 

“Says the one shaking the most right now.” 

“Yeah. You alright, Crow?” 

“He’s scared Joker might get injured, ya know?” 

“Joker can take care of himself well. We all saw how he obliterated the shadows in the colosseum.” 

“Oh yeah, you’re right.” 

“I wouldn’t want to piss him off, definitely.” 

“That should be enough assurance that Joker is a capable Omega.” 

The comms went back to normal occasional banters while Joker kept his mouth shut. He was actively avoiding all the shadows after all. One mistake and the consequences could be fatal. 

At the huge entrance hall of the casino, Joker climbed on top of the ledge and stood up straight, the briefcase in hand. The guards were immediately alerted of his presence and it all went chaotic. The raven heard shouts coming from behind him and he sprinted along the hand rails. 

“Woah, How To Be a Decoy 101.” It’s as if Joker can hear the smirk in Skull’s comment. 

“He learnt that from you,” retorted Oracle. 

“I guessed as much.” Crow chuckled. 

“He’s never one for subtlety.” 

Joker smiled at their comments as he dodged yet another grabbing hand of the guard. Gracefully, he spun around and flipped into the air, jumping on the shoulders like a feline on the run. At the sight of the signature colored glass, his steps grew faster and faster. With a leap, he crashed into it. Glass shards burst outwards in tandem with his flying body, extravagantly twisting in the air. A smile crowned his lips. 

“What a show-off,” voiced Oracle in their comms. Joker’s smirk grew bigger. 

“Well, it won’t be Joker if he doesn’t,” told Panther. 

He landed on the ground with a thud. Suddenly, spotlights were on him. He shielded his eyes from the bright lights attacking his retina. 

“Wait what?!” 

“This many cops…In the Metaverse?” 

Joker stood still, dumbfounded. The case he held in his grip suddenly became a burden. He threw it towards the cops running towards him, halting them by a second. He sprinted to the right, trying hard to outrun the lights chasing after him. Shouts and sirens accompanied his trails. It shook the whole casino with its commotion. 

The raven jumped on the hanging stairs as his hand gracefully caught one of the steps and held fast onto it. He climbed up and looked down; a smug smile on his face. When he turned around, his head met a hard knock. 

In the dizziness, he found a group of cops waiting for him at the other end of the stairs. The hand lost its grip and he fell on the ground like a shot pigeon. 

A handcuff later and the leader of the Phantom Thieves was dragged towards the nearby police station. 

* * *

It was a wonder how Akira can hold himself well under the pressure of drugs and lack of sleep. He was slurring most of his words during the time he told the story of Metaverse and Phantom Thieves to Sae. She, most of the time, were stunned and surprised by the complete absurdity of Akira’s story, and started to accuse him of hallucinating and making up stories as they went. Akira denied all of her claims as she realized the entirety of his story matched with the timeline and events. 

“Why me?” asked Sae, stern. Akira was still playing with his hair, trying to remember all of the details in his memory. Damn drugs were fogging his mind. There was something else too… He’s sure of it. 

“Makoto and Akechi said you were having distorted desire to win.” 

Her eyes widened. “Makoto…and Akechi…?” 

“Yes.” He entwined his fingers on the table. The grey eyes focused back on Sae. “Your intention to win in court superceeds your desire on justice being served. Hence, it created a Palace in the Metaverse. That’s why we decided to change your heart.” 

“But—“ Her voice rose by a notch. “You’re telling me you only went after me because of my ego to win, and not because I decided to go after you guys?” 

“To the point of forging evidence to prove that we’re the Phantom Thieves? Yes. It’s not about us. And it never will be. The Phantom Thieves are formed for the society.” 

Sae stared at him, long. Her fury slowly turned to regret. “I…” She sighed and looked away for a second before shifting back to Akira. 

“So, what exactly is my treasure?” 

Akira smirked. 

* * *

Sae left the room with his phone, after a few minutes of persuasion. He silently celebrated his success with a smile. Gosh, he was ready to tumble down on the floor and pass out. Akira can vouch for other people that this much drug in one’s system is not good for health. 

The door opened and Akechi stepped in with another guard. The raven watched him as Akechi looked at him with a pair of dead eyes. He tailed the guard and stood not far from Akira’s spot. 

In one swift movement, the brunette snatched the guard’s gun and shot his head from behind. Akira, who was sitting at the table, jumped at the noise. He stared at the guard, who’s now a corpse, and Akechi simultaneously. “Wha—“ 

A smile was seen on Akechi’s face. “I came to your rescue!” 

Akira kept his stare on that face, still flabbergasted by his quick decision to end someone’s life in a heartbeat. 

“ _…Was that what you thought I’m going to say?”_

“Akech—“ 

Another shot rang, and this time the bullet went through Akira’s forehead. His eyes stared wide into Akechi’s crimson orbs, lifeless and empty. His head slammed on the desk. Blood splattered on the surface with a squelch. 

The brunette retracted his gun back. The nozzle was still smoking from the fresh shot. He wiped the silencer clean of his leather prints. His eyes never leaving the still body, hunched, at the table. Blood dripped onto the floor as it kept flowing from Akira’s gunshot wound. 

Akechi took out his phone and tapped on the Metaverse app. 

He was transferred back to the real world where Akira was waiting with his legs crossed, this time, the shock on his face appeared strained. 

“Hello, my dear. I thought you missed me so I came.” He smiled as his hands reloaded the gun in his grip. 

“How did you…?” Akira’s eyes were unfocused as he calculated on where it had gone wrong. 

“Easy.” He aimed the gun back at his boyfriend. “Sae never knew we are in a relationship.” 

Shit. Akira gulped. 

“That’s why her cognition of you still calls me Akechi instead of Goro.” 

The gun went off again. 

* * *

The Phantom Thieves gathered at Leblanc to escape the swarm of cops waiting just outside of SIU Headquarters. The atmosphere in the café grew hot with anger and anxiety. 

“And now we wait…” Ryuji gritted his teeth. “Man, this will drive me nuts. First the arena, now this.” 

Futaba huffed. “Akira should be fine. We witnessed how powerful he can be, right?” She drew circles on the meeting table with her finger. “He should be…” 

In the midst of everyone’s worry, Haru perked up as if remembered something. “Oh yeah, where on earth is Akechi?” 

“Oh, him? He said he’s going to rescue Akira,” answered Ann. 

“But on what grounds should we believe him? For all we know, he’s the one who ratted us out to the police.” Morgana sat on the table and swayed his tail, slapping Futaba’s face violently with his soft whips. 

“Yeah. His absence here just makes it clear that he’s behind all of this!” shouted Ryuji. 

“We have to calm down first. Panicking and getting angry won’t get us anywhere,” ordered Makoto. Her leg tapping on the floor intensified as she kept thinking. 

“I should’ve known, man. I should’ve.” Ryuji mumbled words of regret as Ann rubbed his back to soothe him. They all went silent as the painful period of waiting started. 

* * *

The two bodies continued to clash and jostle in the empty space of the interrogation room. Time and time again, Goro overpowered Akira and the next thing, it was reversed. The room was noisy with their sounds of struggle. It was absolutely weird the guard outside hadn’t come in to check things. It’s surely one of Shido’s lackeys again. 

The gun went off again, still missing the aim after it was askewed by Akira. Goro pushed him off his arm and tried to target him once more, only to be faced with Akira’s weight on him, pushing him off balance. He violently landed on his butt. A groan came from him as the sting from falling onto pure cold cement floor hit. His arms were caught by Akira to prevent him from shooting at the raven again. 

A whiff of Akira’s scent caught him off guard. He relaxed for a few seconds before resuming his fight. Pushing Akira off him, he tightened his grip on the gun he had in hand. 

Even Akira didn’t show any signs of giving up soon. He’s going to have to use a different tactic. As much as he doesn’t want to kill his boyfriend, Shido’s orders are something to be obeyed and feared. 

Goro surged forward with full intention of facing Akira head-on. With their hands still connected and his gun as far away from his aim, Goro went ahead and 

kissed Akira hard. 

The raven seemed stunned by his move. His struggles stopped for a second, but he caught on quick. The strength flowed back into his veins and held Goro’s shooting arm fast. 

Goro kissed him harder, closing the distance between them and squashing Akira onto the wall. 

The raven’s scent was overwhelmingly strong, he might go feral if this kept going for too long, so he waited for an opportunity. 

The kiss was intense. Their lips were devouring each other’s until they’re raw, tongues fighting hard for dominance, and Goro was winning. Akira tried to stand up straight, with drugs still in his blood, but it just sent his mind frenzy. His tongue several times swiped over Goro’s fangs and it melted his insides. He didn’t dare to think what Goro was like in the sheets— 

_He’s about to be killed, goddammit._

Just when his mind went to the hornier side, Akira heard a click next to his head, and felt the gun nozzle placed on his scalp. His brain stopped working. Goro pulled back with a smirk. His lips swollen and glistened from the fresh kiss. 

“Gotcha, baby.” 

_Bang!_


	18. Hit or Miss (I Guessed He Missed huh?) - (A rewrite)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath. Not everybody can take it as well as Akira.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here's the next rewrite I promised. Hope you will enjoy this too :)  
> Also, we've reached 500+ Kudos milestone! OMG?! I never dreamt this fanfic I write for fun will get this much?? Thank you so much for making this girl happy :DDD Your supports will always be remembered and appreciated!

_News Flash! Sorry to interrupt your evening, citizens of Tokyo, however we have recently received a shocking news from the police department. As you all may have known, the leader of the Phantom Thieves was captured red-handed last night, and was taken into custody soon after._

_Later this evening, he was found dead in the interrogation room with a gunshot wound on his head, in which the police speculated, inflicted by himself. He was claimed to have committed suicide as to avoid revealing his secret to the cops on his modus operandi. His body will be held in for further autopsy. More news at 7._

* * *

Futaba watched the news with a pinch of anxiety. Her fingers played with her nails until some dried skin were scraped off. She constantly bit her own lips and glanced at the screen hanging high on Leblanc’s wall. To ease her heart, she sipped on some tea Sojiro made for her. 

“Is he going to be okay?” asked Sojiro, putting down his newspaper with a narrowed gaze at Futaba who was exuding worry on every fiber of her being. 

“He will,” replied her immediately. “He will… Everything is according to plan… I think. We locked Akechi’s cognition away, and Akechi went into the Metaverse…” 

She grabbed the shirt in front of her chest. Morgana ran downstairs and sat beside her, rubbing his fur on the girl to calm her down. 

“…But why do I feel uneasy?” 

* * *

If one had never experienced choking by sheer scent before, they will definitely experience it by coming to Leblanc that evening. The Phantom Thieves were waiting in the café after a call from Sae. Makoto waited anxiously for another call from her sister. Their food served by Sojiro was left untouched. Well, mostly. Ryuji and Yusuke finished their dishes, even with worry spilling in their hearts. 

Morgana’s eyes were glued to the door. He perked up at every shadow that passed by Leblanc, in hopes that it was Sae and Akira. Alas, none of them were. 

Meanwhile, Haru was trying her best to calm everyone down and releasing motherly scent so it would help the Alphas. So far, it had helped by a bit. Morgana appeared to be less stressed by the wait and Ann’s shoulders drooped down. At one point during the wait, they all sighed in sync. 

Futaba was on the verge of crying when a jingle from the doorbell woke her up. 

“Akira!” 

There were three figures standing at the door; one was Sae herself, making way for Akira and his helper to go through. She opened the door wide so the battered Akira can be brought in. However, before the three of them could pass, Ryuji ran towards the entrance to snatch Akira away. Sae was brushed aside by the blond. She stared at Ryuji as he and Ann went upstairs to put the unconscious Akira in bed, Yusuke and Haru rushed towards the nearest clinic to call Tae. Makoto joined her sister to talk about Akira’s condition and his escape from the Police Department. 

“If you would be so kind as to tell me how Akira escaped—“ she paused before glancing at the person beside Sae. “—And inform me how Akechi plays a part in all of this.” Sae only gave her a firm nod. “I will tell you after the doctor confirms to me that the boy is in good condition. For now, Akira takes precedence.” 

* * *

In the ruckus of his room, Akira gained consciousness. He saw glimpses of Tae and blond hairs, an IV drip standing beside his bed, and his arm getting punctured by something small and sharp. He almost went back to sleep and let fate decide whether he will survive or not, before he heard a familiar soothing voice and pungent blood scent coming closer. There was Ryuji’s shout and some struggles. A groan left Akira’s lips as he tried to keep his eyes open. 

“Akira?” Ann’s voice greeted him. Akira blinked a few times before looking at the people in his attic. 

Tae. Ryuji. Ann. Morgana. Goro. 

It took Akira a moment before he realized that he hasn’t slept for the night and his eyes were now rebelling to close. He had to stay awake so the drug can be processed out of his system. Another groan escaped him. 

“What is it?” Ann got closer to Akira, earning some jealousy from Goro. 

“Co…ffee…” 

The model delivered a level stare at Akira before he felt a light pinch at his thighs. “This is no time for jokes!” 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Goro wanted to step towards Akira but was stopped by Ryuji. 

“You stay there. Don’t ever come close to Akira ever again,” said him, venomous. 

That was the first time Akira ever heard Ryuji using his Alpha voice. He got chills just from hearing it. 

“Excuse me?” retaliated Goro. 

“An Alpha’s job is to protect their Omega,” said Ryuji, his eyes glaring holes in Goro. “But what did you do to your Omega? You freakin shot him. _In the head_.” 

“I was—“ 

“That’s enough from you two!” exclaimed Ann from the bedside. “Take your bickering outside if you want to fight. Akira needs his rest and he obviously doesn’t need more stress from you.” 

Ryuji and Goro were silenced by Ann’s burst. They stood at a corner of the attic while Ann and Tae nursed Akira back to health. A few minutes passed, and Akira slowly gaining his memories from before the capture. From his blurry sight, he spotted Goro. 

“Guys,” called Akira. Goro perked up at the voice. 

“Call everyone upstairs. I have to update everyone on the news.” 

“Including Sae?” 

Akira shook his head. “Phantom Thieves business.” 

Ryuji nodded. “Understood. I’ll go get ‘em.” 

* * *

When everyone was situated in the attic, all sitting around the meeting table, Akira started his briefing. 

“Congratulations on executing the plan perfectly, guys. Because of your efforts, I managed to ‘die’ in the cops’ eyes and will no longer consider me and the Phantom Thieves a threat.” 

They all nodded, still filled with worry over their leader. 

“But you took the beating for us,” said Makoto. “I can’t forgive myself for this, at least not for the time being.” 

They all took a brief glance at Akira who wore bruises on every patch of skin he revealed. Silently, Goro gripped his hand tight. He can’t believe he fought Akira while the Omega was drugged and weakened. It scratched his ego even more that Akira still managed to overcome his efforts while in said state. 

“It’s a leader’s job to protect their members. Don’t beat yourself over it.” Akira smiled at Makoto, reassuring her. 

“Hold on,” interrupted Goro. “You fabricated the whole situation of getting caught by the police and interrogated by an attorney, even cheating death so they would get off your backs?” 

The raven simply hummed as a way of saying yes. The brunette stared at him with disbelief. 

“What if it doesn’t go according to your plan?” 

“We had a lot of options.” Akira smirked and glanced at Futaba. “We made sure our plan had taken everything in consideration, including someone’s betrayal, and hence, a fool-proof plan.” 

Goro stared at Akira like he grew another head. His mouth stayed agape for almost a minute before shaking his head. “You’re utterly crazy. And a fool.” 

“I mean, my arcana says I am.” Akira shrugged at Goro. They passed smiles to each other. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt your sweet moments, Akira and Akechi,” voiced Yusuke, still registering the situation at hand. “But isn’t Akechi the… forgive me for my word, traitor, in our group? Why is he allowed to be here with us? Aren’t you mad at what he did to you?” 

Akira cleared his throat before answering. “Firstly, Yusuke, calm down. I know I revealed him to be my crush for some time, and no, I didn’t think with my genitals so shut up Morgana. I allow him to be here because he deserves some friend around his age so he could soften up. He’s rigid from all the bidding he did for the adults around him. He is a victim of the situation, like all of us are, and he could use an ally.” 

“I don’t understand,” cut Haru. “What was his situation exactly? We never really knew what happened.” 

The raven shifted his gaze to Goro and back to the group. “I’ll give the floor to Goro. It’s his story.” 

* * *

They all left Leblanc once the clock struck 20 minutes past midnight, except for Goro, despite Morgana’s fervent protests. The ban for him still hasn’t been lifted. 

Sojiro stayed with him in the café, feigning read the week-old newspapers while letting the TV drown Akira and Goro’s conversation. Morgana was hanging out upstairs to run away from the blood scent emitted by the brunette. 

In one of the booths, Goro sat at least a feet apart from Akira, unwilling to come closer to his boyfriend lest he’d lose control. Akira’s scent has been confusing him from the time he stepped into the interrogation room. 

“I’m scared as to what they had injected in you.” 

“You and I know it wasn’t just drugs,” told Akira as he glazed over the coffee in his hand once. 

“Alpha pheromones.” 

His head turned to Goro sharply at the answer, horrified spelled all across his face. 

“It’s known to be used on suspects or criminals to make them go feral and let the cops have a reason to beat them up. I can’t believe they’re willing to put such things into an Omega… That would fuck you up real bad.” 

Akira blinked, his eyes stayed on the cup of coffee in his hands. The IV drip beside him swayed slightly in sync with his breathing. 

“Aren’t you supposed to not have coffee while you have that attached…?” 

“Just tonight.” 

They went silent again. The creaks of the fan accompanied their breathing as they calmed down from the news. Before Goro could reach for a new topic, Akira spoke. “I’m getting worse.” 

Goro raised an eyebrow. “Can you elaborate?” 

Akira rubbed his thumb on the cup before continuing, “I went to Tae a few days ago and she said I might get some unknown side effects as a result of my excessive intake of suppressants. Lately, Morgana said my scent was off and… _gone_.” 

This time, it was Goro that turned horrified. “I-I can smell you fine now?” 

“Yeah, but it didn’t back then, did it?” 

Goro was silenced by Akira’s reply. In the interrogation room before, Goro smelled Akira’s scent, definitely, but it was so strong, his instincts had mistaken it for an Alpha’s. Hence, the fight occurred. 

“I’m sorry…” 

“It’s alright. Your kiss was amazing so that makes up for it.” 

Goro coughed at his comment, his face turning red at the embarrassment. “I was driven to find out whether it was the real you or not. I have to make sure.” 

“With a kiss? Do you do this with every impostor you encounter?” 

Because if Goro does, Akira might go on a killing spree out of jealousy. 

He coughed again, this time even harder. “Anyway, back on the topic. You are getting worse, correct? Is there any way for it to turn back to normal?” 

Akira nodded. “She said to give me some time away from any meds before it will be stable again.” 

They took a sip from the cups before changing the topic yet again. 

“Are you okay?” asked the raven, his grey eyes looked up to Goro. 

The other man tilted his head, confused as to what Akira was referring to. 

“It can’t be easy to reveal your life story to us.” He ran away from Goro’s gaze. “If I was in your shoe, I think I’d do the same… or worse.” 

The brunette reached out to gently touch Akira’s hand. The warmth of his coffee seeped into his skin as it came in contact with the cup. 

“I can never wish anything bad to happen to you, Akira.” 

“… A little late for that after you pointed a gun at me, no?” 

He let out a single chuckle, a guilty smile on his face. “Yeah… Not my proudest moment but my life is simply a series of bad decisions.” 

“Mood.” Akira shifted the cup of coffee into his other hand to sip on his drink while his other hand kept holding Goro. 

“I don’t know what possessed me to think it was a good idea to follow Shido’s orders to kill you.” His steaming coffee had turned cold as he continued to wallow in his regrets. “There’s a lot of things I wished I hadn’t done to make me achieve my goal.” 

“But you still did it.” 

His stare turned sharp. “I am a man of ambitions, Akira.” 

Akira looked back at him. His gaze is as equally hard as Goro’s. “Would you sacrifice our friends and me for your goals then?” 

The booth was flooded with heavy silence, tense from their clashing determinations. They didn’t talk for nearly a minute, letting their eyes did all the work. They both knew if they kept talking, it’ll only turn worse. 

A cough from Sojiro snapped them out of their silent fight. “It’s almost 1 in the morning,” told him with a brief glance at Goro. The boy ‘ahh’ed and stood up, taking both of their cups to the kitchen. Goro collected his things and his jacket, later headed towards the door and waited for Akira to send him away. 

Once they were both outside, Akira sniffed the air and casually said, “do you bring an umbrella?” 

Goro gawked at Akira long, his eyebrows forming a crease on his forehead. “What?” 

“It’s going to rain.” 

The detective looked into the dark sky. Stars were visible and the wind was blowing fine. He stared back at Akira before letting a sigh of defeat. “And you told me my sniffing habit is creepy.” 

Akira chuckled at it. Goro remembered that conversation with him from back then. Truly a sweet man. 

“Do you think I have enough time to get to my apartment without getting wet?” 

“Maybe. It’s a tight squeeze unless you run.” 

Ah, damn. He’s gotta move now if he doesn’t want to get sick the next day. But before he could step away from Leblanc, Akira held his hand. 

The raven stood still, not saying a word and only looking at him with a pair of eyes he can’t decipher. 

“When the time comes,” said Akira, “we’ll fight. Together or not. Do not hesitate, Goro, because I will use all of my powers to win that time.” 

They shared a gaze one more time before Goro nodded. “Understood. I will keep that in mind.” 

A smile settled on Akira’s lips. “Thank you. I appreciate it very much.” 

Goro softly kissed his forehead before letting go of Akira and headed towards the train station. Akira was left staring at his back until it’s gone from his sight. He leaned on Leblanc’s door. All strength seemed to leave him once Goro’s away. He sighed. 

Sometimes he wished he and Goro had met sooner. 

* * *

**Akira** : As per Goro’s story, we now have a new objective 

**Akira** : Shido is our next target 

**Makoto** : I agree. His campaigns have always appear shady to me 

**Haru** : Yes. There’s always something off about him, I have to admit. 

**Ryuji** : I can’t believe you still allow Akechi to be a part of our group 

**Akira** : Ryuji, we talked about this 

**Ryuji** : he killed Futaba’s mother! 

**Ryuji** : that’s not a simple matter that you can brush off, man 

**Ryuji** : I can forgive you for disappearing in Okumura’s palace 

**Ryuji** : as well as you hiding the fact that you’re an Omega all this time 

**Ryuji** : Heck I even ignore the fact that Morgana helped you in your tests 

**Ryuji** : but just because he’s your boyfriend, don’t let that blind you to the things he’s done 

**Goro** : Ryuji’s right, Akira 

**Ryuji** : speak of the devil 

**Ryuji** : don’t act all high and mighty in here 

**Ryuji** : you’ll make me puke 

**Goro** : I only ask you to behave in front of Akira. He’s merely trying to be civil with you. 

**Ryuji** : oh I can, just not with you around 

**Akira** : Ryuji pls 

**Futaba** : GUYS STOP 

**Futaba** : I already gotten over that fact months ago. Please don’t make me recall the darkest moment of my life. 

**Futaba** : I forgive Akechi. He’s a victim of circumstances as much as us. 

**Ryuji** : futaba… 

**Futaba** : Please, Ryuji. I know you’re better than this. 

**Yusuke** : If Futaba herself is ready to make peace with her past, I believe we should do the same as well. 

**Yusuke** : However, I agree with Ryuji to some degree. 

**Yusuke** : Akechi, what you’ve done was unforgivable. It will not be easily forgotten by people who are directly affected by it, mainly Haru and Futaba. 

**Yusuke** : If Akira wishes for you to remain in this group, I will not oppose it, but it won’t be comfortable for any of us. 

**Yusuke** : If you’re okay with that, then feel free to stay. 

**Goro** : I will do my best then. 

**Yusuke** : Understood. 

**Akira** : Alright, calm down everyone. 

**Akira** : As what I was saying earlier, Shido is our next target. Our deadline is before the next election. 

**Akira** : Goro already held the location and keyword, so that saves our time by a bunch. 

**Akira** : All that’s left to do is explore. 

**Goro** : Before we step in, I have to warn you about his partners-in-crime. 

**Goro** : There’s a lot of them, no doubt, but there are a total of five authority figures we need to ‘consult’ in order for us to get to the next step. 

**Ann** : You mean, in the Palace? 

**Goro** : Yes. 

**Makoto** : I don’t think I ever talked with any of the shadows in our previous Palaces… 

**Goro** : Of course, you can just leave it to me. I’m used to dealing with them in real life after all. 

**Ryuji** : jeez you connections are scary 

**Goro** : *your 

**Ryuji** : shut up its called a typo 

**Akira** : However pleasing that sounds, we can’t make you do all the work, Goro 

**Akira** : We’ll distribute the talking on how I see fit 

**Akira** : For now, we shall rest and get ready for the next day. No Mementos, no Palaces. 

**Akira** : We all could use the down time. 

**Futaba** : You especially 

**Akira** : Exactly 

**Makoto** : That’s settled then. Everyone, attend school as usual tomorrow, except Akira 

**Ryuji** : Aww : ( 

**Makoto** : No buts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love that bittersweet angst creeping from behind and will tackle you when you weren't looking ;)


	19. The Midas Tongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shido's Palace is a nightmare to Akira.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I postponed on updating this for two weeks. My work has been so demanding, my legs nearly gave out. But I will enter school in two months time so I'll be quitting the job in a month :) More time to write and rearrange my life! Thanks for reading this far! I will never abandon my works (looks at my list of stories) No don't look there we don't talk about that.

“That reminds me, Haru.” 

Haru turned to Futaba who was toying with the soil in one of the pots. She chuckled when the redhead yelped at the sight of an ant crawling up her arm. 

“What is it?” Haru went back to her weeding. 

“Any news on your father?” 

Her hands stopped immediately. Her face fell gloomy. “I’m afraid not. The search is still going, but we’re expanding outside of Japan now.” 

“I see… I’m sorry to hear that, Haru.” 

She delivered a sad smile to Futaba, shaking her head. “It’s okay. It teaches me to be more independent and responsible towards the company.” 

The young teenager finally moved away from the pot that spooked her and towards Haru. “Must be tough to manage a big corporation at such a young age.” 

“It is, I won’t say it’s not.” The lady chuckled, this time louder than before. “But that’s why I learn to relax whenever I can, especially with the Phantom Thieves business. In a sense, it gives me a moment of respite, telling me not to forget how to be myself sometimes. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to know you all and be a part of the group.” 

The girl moved closer to Haru and subsequently gave her a hug. “We’re here for you. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” said her as she awkwardly pat Haru’s back. 

The older girl was silent for a moment before returning her hug, somehow lacking in emotion. “Thank you, Futaba,” told her simply. 

Somehow the air around them grew stiff and uncomfortable, it made Futaba choke with anxiety. She pulled back, managed to hide her anxiousness before facing Haru back. “It’ll all be okay!” 

The girl nodded with a smile and retreated her arms to tend back to her plants, outwardly projecting of wanting to drop the subject altogether. Futaba stood by her side for a while before heading to the hallways where she slumped back on the wall, rubbing her face with a sigh. 

Akira was right about Haru, and Futaba just cannot believe it. 

* * *

The rush of wind that greeted their faces when they entered Shido’s Palace shocked them all equally, except for Crow. It was his first experience entering the Palace after all. 

“Such a grand Palace…” mumbled Fox. 

Oracle glanced to the side and winced. “Guys… look around you.” 

They did as they were told and gasps were heard upon one glimpse at the scenery. 

“Is this what I think it is?!” exclaimed Queen. 

“Truly sickening…” Noir tightened her grips. 

They stood in front of the Palace, which apparently was a massive ship on the flooded terrains on what seemed to be Japan. 

“Is this… how he thinks of Japan?” 

“Now that I’m better-versed on how cognition works, it really is a disgusting place,” spoke Crow. “He sees Japan as unsalvageable unless he saves it from this disaster of a biblical scale.” 

“Jeez, talk about arrogance. His is probably the size of Mount Fuji.” 

“He is the perfect embodiment of one of the seven sins, if this cognition tells us the truth.” 

“Save the talking for later,” ordered Joker. “I understand this is all a huge undertaking for all of us, but Japan is going to be in ruins if the election comes through before we clear the Palace.” 

“He’s right,” agreed Queen. “So close your mouths and let’s move.” 

They nodded in sync and opened the first door. 

* * *

There’s a lot of things Joker can tolerate: Morgana’s constant fur on his clothes, Ann’s fidgeting under the table, Makoto’s unprompted nagging at times and Goro’s tendency to rub his chin whenever he’s thinking. He can proudly say he has high tolerance on a lot of annoying things. 

But he can give an exception to this one. Shido’s loudspeakers were basically shouting off his dirty successes and his rotten plans to the passengers. The sheer amount of the color gold can blind him even with sunglasses attached on his eyeballs. But what repulsed him even more was the number of people on the ship, clearly showing undying support towards Shido as long as they got some fame and luxury in exchange. 

Joker was surely looking forward to meeting these five authority figures in person. They sounded like a blast to talk with. He might even introduce them to his friends, his right and left fists. 

“The main hall is filled with nobody important, so let’s head towards the restaurant,” said Crow. 

“Really?” Joker’s steps came to a halt, stopping the group. 

“We have no time to waste. We should spend as little time as possible on nonsense because the whole Japan is at stake,” replied him. 

Suddenly, a canine Shadow stumbled upon Joker and nearly barked to alarm the other Shadows, but Ryuji, Goro and Ann got their hands on the dog first. It was silenced in under one minute. 

Joker blinked as he stood, staring at the Alphas’ backs. In the usual circumstances, his dignity should be scratched by now, with the way they all protect him from any dangers, but somehow it didn’t cross his mind. Underneath the mask, he smiled. He’s very proud of his team. 

They found the entrance leading them to the said restaurant, but was discontinued by the nearby receptionist. “Excuse me, sir, only people with restaurant tickets may enter. May I see yours?” 

Silence fell heavy in the group. 

“Uhh…” 

Crow stepped forward and smiled. “My apologies. We are quite new here so we don’t know about the ticket. May I know where we may obtain one?” 

The receptionist answered kindly. “It was distributed during the time of boarding; that is if you paid for a Premium Pass. It was supposed to be attached together with it. May I see your boarding pass? I might be able to find it in the system.” 

There’ll be no tickets if there was no boarding pass in the first place. 

They looked at each other and planned a retreat. “We… might have left ours in our room, sorry. We’ll go check it right away.” They scurried away from the entrance before the receptionist could grow suspicious of them. 

On the other side of the door, Skull exhaled. “Whew, I was sure we’re gonna alert the Shadows on our first attempt!” 

“Keep your tone that high and we sure will,” retorted Goro, snarky. 

“What was that, asshole?” 

“It was an advice and you’d be wise if you take it.” 

“Alright, knock it off, guys.” Joker waved in between them. The strong clashing smell of Alphas were assaulting his nostrils, and the Metaverse supposedly should weaken any scents. He’d faint if this was in real world. (Goro’s was nice though, not biased or anything.) 

“Let’s eavesdrop in the main hall, or ask around.” From the corners of his eyes, he heard a groan from Oracle. “I’m sure we can get some clues on how to gain one. If we can’t, there’s always a reason as to why we’re called _Thieves_.” 

Everyone formed a knowing smirk. 

* * *

They split themselves in groups of four and five respectively to find clues on how to enter without alarming Shido. Luckily not long afterwards, Noir and Oracle reported overhearing a passenger dropped their restaurant pass somewhere at the bar, hence they went searching every bar available. 

“Man, search _every_ bar?” complained the blond. “There’s like, three floors? And three to four bars in each floor? Imma die, man.” 

“We’ve split the group to ease the process, Skull.” Joker smacked his shoulder, giving motivation. “Come on, everybody’s doing their part. You should too.” 

“Yes, and there’s twelve bars in total. We should get six of them from the first two upper floors.” Crow gave Skull a bored stare. “It’s nice to know a simple math can defeat you. I wonder how you will fare in Calculus.” 

Deciding these two should be in a group was a mistake in Joker’s part. 

“Joker…” Skull kneaded the bridge of his nose. “Make him shut up.” 

“If only you’d take your own advice sometimes, Skull.” 

Joker sighed in defeat. He’s thankful he’s reunited with the other group right away to escape the tense situation he’s sandwiched in. He really ought to get Crow and Skull a leash of their own. 

* * *

“Woah,” voiced Skull. “This is so luxurious…” 

They all stood near the entrance, starstruck by the huge dining hall and unfamiliar delicious smell. Skull’s stomach growled. 

“Did you not eat before coming here?” 

“I did!” said him. “I got a little too worked up into coming here so that’s probably why I got hungry faster.” 

“…What?” 

“That doesn’t even make sense.” 

“Ryuji, just…shut up.” 

“Hey, I’m telling the truth!” backed him up. Alas, the girls seemed to deafen their ears. 

“So that’s the guy we need to talk with?” asked Joker to Crow. The Alpha nodded. 

“We have to ask for an introduction letter to meet with Shido. We need five in total.” 

“An introduction letter,” mumbled Queen. “This is so much like real world business.” 

“Indeed. We have to mind our manners around him though. We don’t want for anyone to sniff our strange presence here,” advised the brunette. They all nodded, agreeing with his comment. 

“So who’s…?” voiced Oracle from behind the group. 

“Oh, pick me!” spoke Skull instantly. 

“Definitely not him.” Fox immediately shut down Skull’s idea. 

“You can’t get full from Metaverse food, silly.” 

“Aww…” If Skull was a dog, his ears would drop down in disappointment by now. 

“What’s your say, Joker?” 

The said leader seemed to be thinking of an appropriate member for the mission. After some careful consideration, he said, “Queen and Noir, go.” 

* * *

“Why are we having dinner next to a table with a pair of rambunctious kids?” 

A stern voice came from behind Noir as they made themselves comfortable at the dining table. Both Noir and Queen turned their heads at the man, now standing arrogantly next to their spot. 

“I didn’t pay more to be a babysitter in a bloody restaurant. Go home kids, you don’t belong here,” shooed him as he harrumphed, looking away. Noir had to bite her lips to ensure she didn’t counter him verbally right there and then. 

“My apologies, Mister. We’ll be sure to be respectful around you. Might you be President Ooe?” 

The man stared at Queen up and down before speaking, “Indeed I am. What business do you have with me?” 

“Will it be possible if we ask a recommendation letter from you? We wanted to request an audience with Mr Shido because his ideology resonated so much with ours. We would love to meet him in person and further discuss about the matter.” 

Queen nearly bit her tongue upon forming those words. She secretly thanked her sister for shaping her to a silver-tongued woman. 

“You know your way with words, kid. I respect that. I can see you going places with that attitude. Although, too bad, I assume you’re still in high school, no?” Ooe smirked. “Ah, speaking of high school, it reminded me of that one principal from that criminal school. Shujin, if I’m not mistaken?” 

Chills climbed up their neck, making their hair stood up on its edge. “Y-yes, sir.” 

A boisterous laugh came from the important figure. “What a silly man, he was. Should he simply conformed with Shido’s orders and obeyed every single thing, he wouldn’t be so unfortunate. Isn’t it a wonder why anyone would cast all that priviledge away? I would never do such a thing.” 

There’s a special circle of hell for these kind of monsters. 

“When you’re in the upper ochelons, you have the authority to choose who would have mental shutdowns,” bragged the man some more. Queen saw this opportunity and poked around the subject. 

“Have you caused any mental shutdowns yourself, sir?” 

“Oh, my word, of course I have. Remember the subway train accident earlier this spring? I asked for the engineer to be ‘shut down’ in order to throw chaos in the current government. They were surely getting lots of fire from the citizen and left-wing afterwards, it made me happy.” 

Noir and Queen were gripping their fists tight, it almost tore their gloves. “Good to hear that…” Queen smiled, sneaky. 

“Hm?” He raised an eyebrow at Queen’s remark. 

“My sister works as a prosecutor in Public Prosecutor Office. I can just pass on what I heard to her. How about it? Won’t you give us the recommendation letter now?” The winning smile from Queen was worth listening to all the terrible things the president had done. Joker clasped his dagger close, ready to spring forward once the cue from Queen comes. 

“Don’t get cocky brats! Who are you?! How did you get here?” The aura around the man turned black and red, his body releasing a stink that Akira can’t handle. He covered his nose from the absolute maddening scent. 

A rotten Alpha to the core. 

“The letter, please?” Queen’s smile grew tight. 

Ooe refused the request once more and Noir called the rest of the group. “Guys!” 

They all gathered in front of the Shadow that once hosted a man. The seven-headed snake viciously smacked the Phantom Thieves with his tail, however their agility weren’t to be underestimated with. This wasn’t their first mission after all. 

Skull and Fox dodged the next attack with ease, while Noir and Joker focused their hits on the snake’s eyes. But it’s hard to reach when the snake was almost the size of a two-storey building. 

“Crow, shoot both his eyes!” shouted Joker. Crow complied immediately. 

“Robin Hood!” 

With two successful shots from Crow’s Persona, they maintained gaining the upper hand. All of them attacked the snake relentlessly; their hits grew more and more powerful each turn, it’s almost scary how much they had progressed. 

In under ten minutes, the Shadow snake was downed. They jumped in victory. “We got the introduction letter!” told Skull after snatching it from the snake who had morphed back into his human form. 

“P-please…” begged the Shadow. “Keep this a secret. I will lose my position!” 

Skull huffed in annoyance. “Fine…” 

“But it’s quite surprising,” spoke Queen. “I totally wasn’t expecting Principal Kobayakawa to be involved with Mr Shido… I wonder how much we can uncover from this trip.” 

“Save your baffles for later,” said Crow. “Remember, this is Shido’s Palace. Anything we encounter won’t be pleasant.” 

“What’s the hurry, man?” cut Skull. 

“You yourself said we need to finish this before the election comes,” replied Crow. “I don’t know how you can stay cheerful and calm throughout all of this. Shido is a ruthless man. If the news of us breaking into his Palace reached him, he’ll do everything in his power to stop you.” 

It wasn’t until now that Joker realized Crow was shivering. 

“ _Even kill you._ ” 

They gulped. Crow was right in that regard. This wasn’t just an artist or a perverted teacher. This was a politician who has Japan wrapped around his fingers. If he so easily decided to perish one of the engineers of the subway train, he’d surely have no problem getting rid of these eight high-schoolers and a cat. 

“But can we really testify to what the Shadow said?” asked Oracle. 

“Yeah, they sound like the real people.” Noir recalled the way the Shadow snake acted. “It’s as if they’re more than just cognition…” 

“He has Wakaba’s research. He surely has his own ways of tampering with his Palace.” The feline answered. “For now, it’s safe to see them as real people instead of just an imagination.” 

“…But… We killed the Shadow just now, right?” interjected Queen. “Did we kill him…?” 

“I don’t think so,” retorted Morgana. “They’re not real people, yet they have the memories of the real selves. I don’t understand it myself but whatever happens, we should be more careful.” 

They nodded, agreeing with Morgana. 

“Alright, let’s move out of here. I think we caused enough of a scene,” commanded Joker. 

“I believe there’s a swimming pool above this restaurant,” said the Oracle. “There’s an elevator to bring us there. Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder how the five assholes will be written... They're so fun to write with Goro in the group.


	20. Fire in Her Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another letter of introduction gained and the PT came across an obstacle they didn't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm alive.

In front of their eyes laid a pool of gargantuan size, stretching from one end of the ship to the other. Their eyes grew wide in astonishment, still wasn’t expecting the extent of luxury Shido strived to achieve, despite having met an Eiffel Tower on the highest floor alongside a Ferris Wheel. The Phantom Thieves took a moment to let their surprise settle down. 

“We’re supposed to find the former noble guy here, right?” asked Panther. 

“Yes.” Crow answered instantly. “Perhaps we could find him at a spot where he can easily get a bird’s eye view of the pool. He loves to ogle girls in swimsuits.” 

The females groaned upon hearing Crow’s statement. 

“No, Skull,” said Queen to the owner. 

“What?” 

“I see the way your eyes glow in excitement.” 

Skull switched his stance to lean on his other leg, looking flustered. “I-I don’t know what you mean! No, don’t look at me like that, I’m not a pervert!” 

Mona rolled his eyes. The blond Alpha couldn’t get more obvious than that. _“Wow, I’m convinced.”_

“Really! Someone side with me here!” 

Nobody in the group was agreeing. 

“For real?! No one?!” 

* * *

They found the former nobleman sunbathing at a corner of the pool, ogling the women walking past him like a hawk. Skull stepped forward to open a conversation with him. 

“Yo, nice day today, right?” 

The man’s expression quickly melted into one of disgust. He kept his mouth shut while not looking at them. 

“I’m going to take a dip in the swimming pool soon! You, uh, wanna join?” 

Joker had to do a second take on Skull’s comment and smacked him in the ribs. The blond looked at him, puzzled. 

“What?” 

“You tryna hit on him or something?” whispered Joker. 

“God, no!” denied Skull. 

“You kids can play away all you want. I won’t talk to people who don’t have noble blood running in their veins,” told the man. The group went silent as if in shock of how petty the guy was. 

“….Excuse me?” 

The arrogant man zipped his mouth again and stared at the pool, ignoring the Phantom Thieves who were standing in front of him, expecting an answer. A nudge from Queen was all it took to snap them out of it. 

“Let’s go guys.” 

* * *

An explanation from Crow enlightened them to the real circumstances as to why they weren’t talking with the former noble currently. 

“He has a fascination towards royal bloodline,” said him. 

The Oracle tilted her head, confused. “What’s wrong with normal bloodline?” 

“He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and romanticizes the idea of meeting a royalty, marrying them and later inherits their property and being treated as a king,” said Crow in one breath. “Or at least that’s what he told me back then. Different wording but the gist stayed the same.” 

At a corner of the group, Fox clicked his tongue. “Despicable.” 

“Indeed,” responded Queen. 

“To rely on something as minor as bloodline…” spoke Noir softly. “I come across these kind of people often when my father was still here and it’s honestly disgusting to recall.” 

Panther patted Noir’s shoulder, sympathizing with her. The girl shook her head and replied with a quiet ‘I’m fine now’ to the blonde. 

“Alright, since we can’t find any royalties at the moment, nor can we inject royalty into our bloodline instantly, let’s find another way,” ordered Joker. 

“I remember Crow mentioning he likes to ogle girls in swimsuits?” asked Mona. 

An idea emerged. 

“MONA, THAT’S BRILLIANT!” 

* * *

“I can’t believe we’re doing this…” 

“Ugh…” 

“Let’s get this over with, girls…” 

The four girls headed towards the former nobleman and stopped right in front of him to catch his attention. “Excuse me?” opened Noir with tact. “Do you care to join us on this lovely day?” 

Surprisingly, the nobleman was still uncaring of their presence. He huffed and looked the other way. 

“Hello?” interjected Queen. 

“Don’t waste your time here, girls. Despite how cute you look, you still aren’t royalties.” 

Oracle and Panther almost snapped at his reply. Queen grit her teeth in anger while Noir expressed extreme embarrassment. 

“Do not speak to me as if we’re on the same level. Now shoo, off with you.” He clasped his hands on top of his soft protruding belly, maintaining an air of arrogance around him. 

“I’m sorry for taking your time, sir,” spoke Panther out of the blue, with what’s most possibly the worst British accent Joker had ever heard. “My name is Ann Windsor. My father is the descendant of British royalty. These girls are the daughters of my retainers.” 

“I-I beg your pardon?” The chubby man sat upright, an interest shone in his eyes. 

“My apologies for these girls. They can sometimes speak without my permission to just anyone. It’s bloody frustrating.” She shook her head in fake disappointment. 

A few steps away, the four boys hid behind a beach chair, trying their best to be subtle. “There’s no way the guy would fall for that acting…” Skull sighed. 

“I’d say Panther’s acting has improved quite a bit since our encounter, however people who fell for **that** must be a special type of fool,” said Fox. 

Back on the girls’ attempt, the nobleman’s eyes sparkled upon hearing Panther’s voice. “My my, how would I know there was a gem lying in between dirts.” 

“D-dirt?” Noir was silently shocked. 

“Well then,” spoke Crow. “As rare as it should be, we are witnessing the existence of an exceptionally foolish rich man.” He sneaked closer on Joker to get a better look on the girls. “Let’s see how far we can get with Panther’s effort.” 

When Oracle and Noir were too busy being dumbfounded, Queen weaved in. “Yes, I am truly sorry for our behavior before. Lady Ann treats us right and it’s an honor to serve her and the whole House Windsor.” 

“You let your retainers live with you in your mansion?” scoffed the man. “A woman with your standard and beauty should never associate with servants such as them.” 

“As much as I’d love to leave them behind, I cannot for the sake of my safety, sir.” Panther formed a soft, cheerful smile. “I have some troubles in getting to meet Mr Shido, hence if you would kindly lend us a letter of introduction, that’d be swell!” Panther creeped forward to whisper to him. “Consider this a promise from me to introduce you to my father.” And she winked at his direction. 

“Wow…” Joker’s eyes were glued to Panther the whole time. Her honey jasmine scent was spewing everywhere, earning some glances from Omegas nearby, including him. “She’s really going all-out on that guy…” 

The former nobleman blushed and ushered his way towards his briefcase and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here, Your Highness. I hope this will help in your endeavor.” 

She chuckled cutely. “Many thanks, kind sir!” 

Before Panther could leave, her hand was grabbed by the man. She gasped at the sudden touch and turned to look at the old guy. 

“E-excuse me?” 

“Your skin is so soft, Lady Ann. Have you made sure to put on sunscreen?” asked him as he ran his hand on her exposed arm. Panther was cringing inside – the places he touched left trails of fire -- but she held her disgust within. 

“Yes, s-sir. Can you—“ 

“As members of prestigious family, why don’t we get on more intimate terms?” 

“Huh?” 

The other girls readied themselves to pull Panther whenever necessary. 

“Come now, you girls are making her embarrassed. Do us a favor and leave us alone?” 

Something snapped in Panther. 

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, YOU FUCKING PERVERT!” 

A punch flew to his left cheek. He stumbled backwards, flipping the beach chair as he fell. “What the--?” The former nobleman rubbed the searing pain on his face while trying to sit down, his face looked up to the furious Alpha. 

Joker whistled. “Now that’s something you don’t see everyday.” Despite enjoying the fight scene, his head was swimming with the strong wave of floral scent coming from Panther, considering she’s currently pissed off at a certain scumbag. 

“Yep, that’s our cue, but…” Skull stopped himself as they didn’t move an inch, feeling no necessity on helping their teammates. Not far from there, the transformed nobleman was being beaten up by the angered girls. Noir swung her axe like a madman, Panther lashing her whip like she’s about to decapitate someone, Oracle unleashing her Persona’s tentacles out and Queen’s Johanna was revving like on a streetshow. 

“I’m sure they can handle him themselves…” 

* * *

After discarding the swimsuits and back to their original outfits, they resumed their agenda on finding other letters of introduction. 

“Panther sure didn’t let up on that poor guy,” commented Skull as they walked back into the halls of confusion, as how Joker put it. 

“Hey, don’t ever pity a douche such as him,” retorted the girl instantly. “Touching someone without their consent is very rude, and he also suggested that I go out with him.” She huffed and continued her ramble. “An old man hitting on a young girl was one thing, but he reminds me of Kamoshida.” 

Joker’s pace slowed down a bit. “Oh… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in that position…” 

“No, you’re fine, sweetie.” She waved it away while smiling. “The more I think about it, it’s a good thing you’re here. I wouldn’t have gone past that stupid teacher if not.” 

The raven still felt guilty even after Panther’s assurance. He followed behind her, watching Panther’s figure walking tall and confident. She has come a long way from when he first met her — she used to be an introverted Alpha. Joker envied that progress of hers but at the same time, proud of his friend. 

“Watch out!” shouted Queen out of the blue. Joker swiftly looked behind him to scan for any dangers. 

But there was none. He stood still as he listened to any stomps by the guards. 

Wow the world felt so big. 

Something’s… not right. 

“Oh my God WE’RE RATS!” 

_Oh._

* * *

They held an emergency meeting at a corner of the big room. The Phantom Rats huddled close to make sure no tails were spotted by the wandering shadows. 

“How do we turn back?” chirped Fox. 

“Maybe it’s some kind of curse? We should find the Shadow Master that put the spell in this room!” Skull hopped in excitement. 

“No, Skull. This isn’t an RPG.” Oracle shook her head at Skull. “Let me find something that can give us clues.” 

Rat Crow held out a paw and put it under his chin. “Skull has a point…” 

“What? There really is a Shadow Master?!” asked Panther in disbelief. 

“No, but there should be a source of this spell. We just need to switch it off to turn back into human.” 

They stared at Rat Crow with their beady eyes. 

“It’s only just a theory though.” He chuckled. “Oracle, would you please scan the floor for any big objects that is nearby and only has one?” 

“…Please be more specific? I need something that I can work with.” 

“My apologies.” He thought for a second before clapping his paws once. “Perhaps an object that can emanate energy? A light source, heater or anything of the sort. You can use thermal cameras too, maybe that’ll help.” 

“Now we’re talking!” Screens appeared before her toe beans and she typed with her claws with speed and precision. “Oh!” 

They all turned to the tiny Rat Oracle. 

“Crow is right. There’s a statue next door that acts as a lamp and radiator. We should take a look at that.” 

* * *

The journey in the halls was something Joker wished he’d never have to experience again. They kept turning into rats in each new room they discovered and it became annoying after the first two. The Shadows weren’t getting easier as they went by and it made things a lot harder for them, alas, Joker was thankful to all of his teammates for hustling together to overcome the hurdles. 

Fresh air hit his mask after opening the door, leading them to the back of the ship. 

“So refreshing.” Panther stepped forward and stretched out her muscles. 

“Yeah, after all that rat business, this is such a welcomed change,” spoke Queen while massaging the sore spot at her neck. 

“I can sense a safe room somewhere on this floor!” told Mona as he skipped away from the group. “I’ll be right back! It’s just around the corner!” 

“I’ll go with him.” Crow tailed Mona to make sure the cat didn’t get lost. They watched as the two members went to find a good resting place. 

“We’ll browse the floor for any way to proceed on the next stage.” 

The members nodded in sync. 

* * *

“Yo! Stop right there!” 

His shoulders jumped at the sudden yell. The hand that rested on the doorknob was retracted. 

“You caused quite the ruckus, didn’t you?” The man dressed as a mafia member smirked. “To think that an Omega is the leader of this chaotic band of thieves… Are you kidding me, Shido?” 

Joker gulped upon hearing the name. “Who is this guy?” whispered Oracle to Noir. 

“Me? I’m what they call ‘the cleaner’.” A boisterous laugh erupted from the man. “No need for whispers, girls. The floor ain’t that crowded so I can hear everything.” 

The leader slowly reached for the doorknob behind him, getting ready to escape whenever he’s given the chance, but he has to wait for Mona and Crow to come back, so that’s a problem. 

“That door behind you.” The mafia pointed at it. “Is not a place for you kids to play. Also, I’m dispatching my underlings to come and get you so you would stop being a nuisance.” Beside him, a puddle of red and black came out of nowhere and formed a few Shadows. 

“Oh my God, guys, we have to be careful. These Shadows are not like what we’ve encountered before,” warned Oracle. 

“Thaaat’s right! They’re not here to slow you down.” The man shoved his hands into his pockets. “ _They’re here to kill you._ ” 

He snapped a finger and the Shadows armed themselves. 

“Get them.” 

With an explosion of attacks, the Phantom Thieves dispersed themselves into smaller groups to dodge. The Shadows attacked relentlessly, not giving them a chance to breathe. 

“How are we supposed to cast spells if they’re this fast?!” shouted Queen. 

“We can only rely on physical attacks!” 

“But!” Oracle dodged another ball of fire that was flung at her direction. “Not everyone is equipped with decent strength. For example; me!” 

“Alphas!” screamed Queen. “Protect the Omegas!” 

Within a second, Skull was in front of Noir while Panther stood protectively ahead of Joker. Meanwhile, Queen snatched Fox and grouped up with the flying Oracle. The floating Shadows hovered over them menacingly. 

“Alright guys, we can do this,” said Queen. 

As the groups giving it their all to defeat the Shadows, it’s easier said than done. The enemies have an extremely high physical defense that’s difficult to be penetrated unless an Alpha really concentrated on their attacks. 

About ten minutes into the fight, Panther was heaving. The heavy slashes had finally taken a toll on her. Joker was dreading every second of it. He hated that he can’t do much in terms of physical strength. 

He defeated Thor back in the arena, so why not now? 

He glanced back and forth between the advancing Shadows and Panther. He will have some chance to cast Maragidyne if Panther can stall enough time. 

“Panther, I have a plan.” 

* * *

With Panther’s help, a few successful fire spells were ejected. The Shadows were weakened by it. However, it didn’t occur to Joker that it might backfire. On one second that they thought it was going well, a Shadow applied Bufudyne to Panther and she froze in place. 

“Panther!” exclaimed Joker in panic. With a symphony of ominous growl, the Shadows crept closer towards Joker who’s alone. He inwardly cursed as he realized he has no cleansing spells that can help his teammate. He should've learnt it from Noir when given the chance. He tried to rummage through his item kit but was halted by a barrage of attacks. He ran away from the frozen Panther to avoid breaking her still statue. His legs ran and ran until he made a mistake of going to a corner with no way to escape. Speechless as he watched the wall in front of him, a growl behind him made the raven turn around. 

Wow, he really screwed up big time. 

A nervous laughter escaped his lips. Sweat dripped down his forehead. His fingers grew cold and his knees quaked at the thought of death. Where was his strength when he desperately needed it? 

A few thuds were heard heading towards Joker, and in an instant the Shadows in front of him burst into thin air. The screams of agony echoed as they all died simultaneously and it made Joker cringe at the high-pitched noise. A figure landed in front of Joker, seemingly a human. The leader slowly opened his eyes and uncovered his ears. 

The person’s outfit was striped black and dark blue, with the mask being pointy at front and back. Belts decorated the body as it strapped a pair of strong legs and the shapely hips. Before Joker could put a name on the mysterious figure standing in front of him, the person surged forward and trapped Joker between him and the wall. The raven can feel the uneven and ragged breath from the man because of how close the mask was. The pointy feature was poking his Adam’s apple, making him difficult to breathe. With his best efforts, Joker can finally see the raging eyes underneath the black mask. 

_Black…_

_Mask?_

“Goro?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot how hard it was to read through a doc that you've read a million times -.-;;  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If it wasn't good enough, I'm always open for a rewrite. I'm also sorry this story will be updated slowly. Totally not because I'm too busy drawing to actually write, oh no not at all.


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